2:18
- culture
- Royal Family
- September 3, 2019
Harry speaks out after private jet controversy
Harry launched Travalyst at an event in Amsterdam.
2:18
Harry flew from England to Amsterdam on a commercial flight to announce the launch of Travalyst, his new travel sustainability project.
Earlier this summer, he and Meghan were photographed using a private jet with their son, Archie. The couple faced backlash given their previous statements on environmental protection and climate change awareness.
Elton John then spoke up to defend Harry and Meghan, saying the couple stayed at his home in Nice, France, and he provided them with a private jet in order to \"maintain a high level of much-needed protection.\"
\"To support Prince Harry’s commitment to the environment, we ensured their flight was carbon neutral, by making the appropriate contribution to Carbon Footprint.\" the musician wrote on Twitter.
I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week. pic.twitter.com/WjVRDSMX0z
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) August 19, 2019
Other stars including Pink and Ellen DeGeneres also came to the defense of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but the royals remained publicly silent on the issue until Harry's comments today.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/harry-meghan-file-gty-ml-190820_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
The duke's new travel initiative, Travalyst, comes from the words travel and catalyst, according to a post shared on Harry and Meghan's Instagram account, @SussexRoyal.
The initiative is led by partnerships with Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa, and aims to \"spark a movement to transform the future of travel, putting communities at the heart of the solution,\" according to the Instagram post.
Harry acknowledged that he is not an expert on tourism or business, but \"through my travels I have observed the unique relationship between community and environment, and have noticed something alarming.\"
View this post on InstagramA post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 3, 2019 at 2:15am PDT
\"There wasn’t the symbiosis or connection there needed to be and I wanted to understand why,\" he said. \"I am one of those people fortunate enough to have a platform and I want to use it to tackle hard problems, in the hope of finding solutions … and that’s how Travalyst was born.\"
Travalyst’s website does not include specifics on the initiative's efforts but indicates the focus will be on getting economic benefits of travel to local communities, preserving the environment and helping to \"relieve pressure on overcrowded travel destinations.\"
\"We plan to work closely with local communities and providers, leveraging technology to help scale sustainable supply to meet the growing mass-market demand from consumers - ultimately, making sustainable travel options of all kinds easier for consumers to identify, book and enjoy,\" read a statement on Harry and Meghan's Instagram account.
Harry, Meghan and Archie are preparing for another big trip of their own. The royals will make their first official overseas trip as a family of three when they visit Africa later this month.
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