(TAN): Prince Harry is scheduled to host a summit for his sustainable tourism project Travalyst in Edinburgh after flying back into the United Kingdom next week, reports said.
The Duke of Sussex founded the global initiative, Travalyst, along with other brands including Booking.com, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Trip.com and Visa, with the intention to help tourists make environmentally-friendly decisions while booking trips, as per reports.
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Travalyst, according to its website, seeks to “transform the future of travel into a more sustainable one that supports and protects destinations and local communities for decades to come” for which it will use its “influence to explore and promote initiatives worldwide that have the ability to preserve destinations, ensure that local communities thrive, and protect wildlife and environments through responsible practices”.
This will reportedly be the prince’s first public event in the United Kingdom since he announced giving up royal duties, for which he will fly in from Canada.
The summit, to be attended by around 100 representatives from the tourism sector, will provide him with a platform to test out plans for an online scoring system for eco-friendly accommodation, aviation and vacation experiences, reports said.
“Our ambition is to transform travel and tourism so that every holiday people take, every trip they book, will have a positive impact and better protect the destinations and communities they visit. Whether it is through the activities people do, where they stay, or how they get there, we are looking for ways to make it easier for everyone to choose, and for the industry to provide more purposeful and sustainable options,” a spokesperson from Travalyst was quoted by The Scotsman as saying.
Earlier, the duke had defended his use of private aircraft saying he used commercial flights 99% of the times but occasionally needed to make sure “my family are safe”, as per reports.
The conference will reportedly be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) in Scotland, and will be together organised by Travalyst, the EICC and tourism agency VisitScotland.
