Travel as a catalyst for good.
Transforming the future of travel for everyone.
We are Travalyst
Led by HRH The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a bold new global initiative founded by Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa, with the ambition to change the impact of travel, for good.
We believe in the power and importance of travel and that we also have a shared responsibility to our planet and to each other. That’s why we’re coming together as a catalyst for change. We want to be the driving force that paves a new way to travel, helping everyone explore our world in a way that protects both people and places, and secures a positive future for destinations and local communities for generations to come.
The time is now
The number of people around the world taking international trips has more than doubled since 2000, and is set to increase by the same number again by 2030*. As more and more people travel, so too increases the impact on the environment and local communities – and the opportunities to do good with each trip we take.
*According to the World Bank.
**According to the UN World Tourism Organisation.
***According to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
What sustainable travel means to us
The benefits of visitors should be felt locally and enjoyed by the communities that host them. By empowering local communities to benefit fully from the economic opportunities associated with travel, we can help support and secure destinations for the years ahead.
We want to ensure that people are able to see and enjoy the amazing wildlife our planet has to offer, but also to make sure that our presence can be used for good, protecting plant and animal life and conserving natural resources.
The human impact on our planet is felt in many walks of life, and travel is no exception. We must commit to ensuring that any associated environmental impact of travel is positive and long lasting. This includes everything from eliminating the use of single-use plastics to finding new and more impactful ways to reduce and offset carbon emissions associated with our trips.
With the numbers of travellers rapidly rising, we want to expand the economic benefits and help to relieve pressure on overcrowded travel destinations.
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. 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. Bringing companies, consumers and communities together is our best chance to protect destinations and ecosystems for future generations.
Prince Harry
HRH The Duke of Sussex
Collaboration is the only path forward if we want to create a real paradigm shift in travel. We want to protect the destinations we all love and guarantee that they are happy and healthy for generations to come, but we can’t do it on our own. Even though we don’t have all the answers yet, we are determined to find them together.
Gillian Tans
Chairwoman of Booking.com
Travel is a powerful means of bringing us closer – to share the beauty of our countries and our myriad cultures, to find our common humanity. But with travel comes the duty to protect our fragile planet. That’s why we are working with the brightest minds to ensure that generations to come can follow in our footsteps sustainably and the world and its people can grow together.
Jane Sun
CEO of Ctrip
Global travel is a modern-day gift, bringing together cultures and communities across our planet. As such, we have an obligation to preserve our world for future generations to explore and enjoy - but to do this we need to act now as change won’t happen overnight. As the biggest players in the travel industry we have a responsibility to use our collective scale to lead this change.
Bryan Dove
CEO of Skyscanner
We all have a responsibility to try and protect our precious planet and communities for generations to come. I truly believe more can be achieved by joining together than going alone, which is why we’re excited to be part of Travalyst as we collectively seek out ways to make a positive impact on the future of travel.
Stephen Kaufer
President and CEO of TripAdvisor
Enabling global travel and commerce through digital payments is one of many ways Visa connects and empowers individuals, businesses and economies every day. We are dedicated to doing so in a way that supports our commitment to sustainability. We are proud to be part of this initiative to support long-term economic growth through tourism.
Al Kelly
Chairman and CEO of Visa
Travellers want to have a positive impact
This is not just about the personal choices each traveller makes, it is about a major shift in the way the world travels. As Travalyst partners, we are making this a priority - and we want to encourage our peers, business partners, and customers to do so as well. How we get there, where we stay and what we do matters.
(All stats referenced from Booking.com’s 2019 Sustainable Travel Report.)
Founding partners
Together with HRH The Duke of Sussex, our aim is to spark a movement of like-minded companies, organisations and changemakers to transform the future of travel into a more sustainable one that supports and protects destinations and local communities for decades to come.
We will use our influence to explore and promote initiatives worldwide that have the ability to preserve destinations, ensure that local communities thrive, and protect wildlife and environments through responsible practices.
Join us
Our journey is just beginning. If you want to be the first to hear about updates on Travalyst, share your email address here.
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As Travalyst grows, we will want to hear from like-minded people and companies in the travel industry. If you think you will be able to play a part in the future, provide your details here.