Prince Harry's message about sustainable tourism on Te Ao with Moana.
Video / Māori Television
The Duke of Sussex remains an “invaluable” part of his sustainable tourism organisation, the chief executive has insisted, despite his name being missing from a relaunch.
It was reported this week that his name was left out of an announcement by Travalyst in May after he was presented as its public face when he founded the non-profit in 2019.
However, Sally Davey, its chief executive, told the UK’s Daily Telegraph that his role as founder and patron remains unchanged.
“His role has not changed in any way, and he is regularly involved in strategic discussions and decisions alongside our partners and board.”
The comments came after a Newsweek report highlighted the omission of the duke’s name from a press release announcing a new phase and new board members at the organisation.
In a post from May 24, titled “Travalyst moves into its next phase of growth”, Davey revealed that the company was formally marking the end of its “pilot phase” with the appointment of a new board.
It marked a change to previous press releases published on its website, in which the duke had been mentioned, typically prominently at the beginning of the announcement.
However, the Telegraph understands that the “next phase of growth” post was designed to discuss what was new, namely the board, and not what had remained the same, such as the duke’s commitment to the organisation.
Prince Harry has been the face of Travalyst, encouraging the travel industry to become more environmentally conscious. Photo / Robert Kitchin
Since founding Travalyst in 2019, Prince Harry has been its public face in encouraging the travel industry to become more environmentally conscious.
He has appealed for change in the industry through various conference appearances and has even starred in a skit for Māori TV last year with comedians to encourage travellers to consider sustainable options when planning their next holiday.
During his working summit for Travalyst in Scotland in 2020, the Duke told delegates: “Call me Harry”. He flew commercially to attend the event following strong criticism of his use of private jets.
While Prince Harry launched Travalyst when he was still a working member of the Royal family, he has remained committed to the environmental cause since stepping down and relocating to the US in 2020.
The organisation’s founding goal is to “bring credible, consistent sustainability information to the mainstream, helping both travellers and travel companies make better, greener choices”.
Davey said in the company’s May press release that the original coalition, comprising five “founding partners”, has now almost doubled in size to nine partners, including Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Expedia Group and Google.
Meanwhile, the board appointments include India Gary-Martin, a new chairman who remains the risk and data chairman for C. Hoare & Co., Britain’s oldest private bank.
Other new directors are Clea Kaske-Kuck, a director at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Dr Sally Uren, chief executive of Forum for the Future; James Whiting, chief executive of Doughty Street Chambers; and Henrietta Worthington, a lawyer with Vedder Price.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Rotorua in New Zealand for Travalyst. Photo / Getty Images
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for Travalyst and, I believe, for the industry as we stride ahead into our next phase of growth and expansion to ensure our work is freely available to all, used by all and catalyses the positive transformation of the sector,” Davy said.
It was also announced on Monday that Prince Harry would be playing in this year’s Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, which will be held at Singapore Polo Club on Aug 12.
Prior to travelling there, he will take part in a summit on the power of sport, community and philanthropy with close friend Nacho Figueras in Tokyo.
