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Prince Harry Wants to Help You Travel Greener

Prince Harry. Photo: Getty

Prince Harry wants you to travel smarter—and more sustainably.

Over the past decade, travel across borders has ballooned: Last year, people worldwide took more than 1.4 billion international trips, and come 2030, that number will hit 1.8 billion. And while trip-taking is fantastic on an individual level—it’s educational, it’s eye-opening, and most of all, it’s fun—it can take a toll on its surroundings: see, the overcrowding of historic cities like Dubrovnik, the “public safety crisis” of the California poppy fields, or the damage caused to Machu Picchu.

To address this, the Duke of Sussex just launched a new travel initiative, Travalyst. Travalyst aims to make travel more eco-friendly, beneficial to local communities, and low-impact. (The meaning behind the name? Travel plus catalyst equals Travalyst.)

“Travel has the unparalleled power to open people’s minds to different cultures, new experiences, and to have a profound appreciation for what our world has to offer,” he said in a statement. “As tourism inevitably grows, it is critically important to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices worldwide; and to balance this growth with the needs of the environment and the local population.” And it’s not just the palace backing him up—corporate heavyweights TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Visa, Ctrip, and Skyscanner are all partners in the program.

Although Buckingham Palace said further details about specific initiatives will be announced later, we do have an idea of the agenda Travalyst will promote. In a press release, it stated “supporting local people, protecting wildlife, tackling climate change and environmental damage, and alleviating over-tourism,” as its main goals.

It’s a natural fit for the noted conservationist, who has taken a stand against elephant poaching, and counts the African Parks Foundation and Rhino Conservation Botswana as some of his patronages.

While meeting with reporters this morning, Prince Harry also addressed the recent controversy over his private jet use, noting that he does travel “99%” commercial, while admitting, “We can all do better. And while no one is perfect, we are all responsible for our individual impact. The question is what we do to balance it out.”

Plus, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fall tour of Southern Africa coming up, perhaps some of these green travel tips will be on full display.

Originally Published On Vogue US 

Read Next: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are Now Following a Charity Dedicated to Helping Syrian Refugees 

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