Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and founder of Travalyst, called on the travel industry to measure the health of the destination — not just the value of the traveler or traditional business performance metrics.
“We must remember there is no successful travel industry without successful destinations,” Prince Harry said at the Skift Global Forum on Wednesday.
Travel is a double-edged sword: it relies on healthy communities and nature but overtourism and climate change put them at risk. Travel and tourism is responsible for around 7.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Prince Harry founded Travalyst on the idea that tourism can benefit the environment and local communities.
His comments come amid prolonged backlash on the ground in popular destinations as extreme heat, wildfires, and drought wreaked havoc this summer.
“I’m sure your boardrooms are measuring success — RevPAR