Prince Harry called on the travel industry to protect the destinations and communities it depends on during a keynote address at the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards in London. The Duke of Sussex spoke on November 4 at the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College, appearing on behalf of Travalyst, the organisation he founded in 2019. People reported on the appearance.

His remarks focused on the relationship between tourism and the people who live in popular destinations. Harry argued that travel cannot remain successful if it stops benefiting local communities, and urged businesses to cooperate in protecting nature while preserving tourism’s contribution to prosperity and connection, according to InStyle’s account of the speech.

A new travel-industry partnership

During the address, Harry also announced that Wanderlust had joined Travalyst’s Affiliate Network. According to the organiser’s account, the relationship brings its readers and industry partners into an effort to make sustainability information more widely available and help travellers make informed decisions about their journeys.

Travalyst describes itself as an independent nonprofit that works with travel and technology companies to distribute reliable sustainability information. Its stated priorities include making that information available on booking platforms, improving access to data for travel businesses and engaging policymakers. Partners listed by the organisation include Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner and Tripadvisor.

The speech formed part of the awards’ 25th edition, attended by around 500 travel-industry figures. More than 250,000 readers participated in this year’s voting. Costa Rica received the worldwide country award, Spain won the European category, and Germany retained the sustainability title. The evening combined those reader-selected honours with Harry’s appeal for collective action to safeguard destinations.