Prince Harry made a surprise appearance via video link at the annual general meeting of ecotourism company Travalyst.
The Duke of Sussex, the company’s founder, made a virtual appearance at the meeting from his home in Montecito, California, where he told bosses it was crucial the travel industry did better by communities local in vacation destinations.
He told the board: “Travel and tourism depends on destinations, linked by communities, without which we have nowhere to travel,” said Harry, who appeared via video link from his home in California.
“Communities are the beating heart of travel, and we must do better by the people who are stewards of the places we visit.”
Harry launched the independent, London-based non-profit organization in 2019, while he was still a member of the royal family, with his wife Meghan Markle.
He spent three years as the public face of the initiative to encourage the tourism industry to become more sustainable – despite furore over his use of private jets.
It comes after rumors circulated last year that the prince had given up his role at Travalyst after the company entered an “incredibly exciting” era without any mention of the royal.
Prince Harry made a surprise appearance via video link at the annual general meeting of ecotourism company Travalyst
Prince Harry speaks to an audience after the launch of Travalyst in Amsterdam in September 2019
The Travalyst program, an independent non-profit organization supported by major tourism companies including Google, Booking.com, TripAdvisor and Expedia, aims to help travelers reduce their carbon emissions, prevent overtourism and to develop local economies.
Like his father King Charles, who has spoken out for over 50 years on issues such as sustainability and climate change, Harry is also a strong advocate for environmental causes.
Harry officially launched Travalyst in September 2019, at a time when he and Meghan were facing intense criticism after reportedly taking four private jet trips in 11 days.
The Duke defended himself at the time, saying “no one is perfect” and that what is important is “what we do to balance out” the negative effects.
Harry flew to the Netherlands on a commercial plane for the launch event in Amsterdam, after spending three years working on the initiative.
Then, in February 2020, in one of his final events as a member of the royal family before stepping down and moving to the United States with Meghan, he spoke at a Travalyst event in Edinburgh at the during which he memorably asked to be introduced as “Harry”.
The conference was organized for Harry and his Travalyst team to get feedback from the travel industry on new ideas in sustainability, with around 100 people from the tourism and travel industries invited to join the working summit .
September 2019 – Prince Harry launches his Travalyst initiative at the A’dam Tower in Amsterdam
Harry speaks to an audience at the launch of Travalyst in Amsterdam
In April 2020, Harry was registered at Companies House under the name “Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex” as an “individual with significant control” when Tavalyst was incorporated. Documents confirmed that the Duke owned 75 percent or more of the shares and voting rights.
At the time, two company directors were listed at Companies House: James Holt, who remains one of the Duke’s most senior aides, and Heather Wong, who worked as Harry’s assistant private secretary at Kensington Palace for three years before leaving the royal family. She left Travalyst in March 2021.
Sally Davey, who is now chief executive of Travalyst, was appointed a director of Companies House the following day.
In July of that year, Harry gave a keynote speech at a virtual global summit for Travalyst, urging the travel industry to “build back better” after the pandemic.
The appearance was notable because it was her first public appearance since a series of royal revelations were published in Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s book, Finding Freedom.
The following year, in February 2021, he wrote the foreword to a Travalyst report in which he suggested that Covid-19 offered the travel industry an opportunity to “kick-start a global realignment” towards a future sustainable.
And then, in May 2022, Harry played a starring role in a sketch for a new initiative in New Zealand for Travalyst in which he ran through a forest before being accused of dropping a lollipop wrapper four years later early on a trip to the countryside.
The Duke spoke several phrases in Te Reo Maori for the clip, which he debuted on Maori Television current affairs show Te Ao with Moana.
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