Prince Harry is not leaving Travalyst, the environmentalist tourism company he founded in 2019 after Chief Executive Officer Sally Davey stated he was still an “invaluable part” of the initiative in a statement.
The royal was rumored to be leaving Travalyst after a press release in May omitted to mention him or his work in the company while also proclaiming a new “phase of growth.”
The press release said: “Today we formally mark the end of Travalyst’s pilot phase with the appointment of a new Board to govern and guide us on our journey ahead to delivering major positive and system-changing impact.
“The Board is composed of individuals with world-class expertise in impact, systems change, not-for-profit governance, advocacy, and campaigning for a just and sustainable world.”
Ms. Davey later clarified on Monday, saying, “Prince Harry is the founder of Travalyst and remains an invaluable part of this organization. His role has not changed in any way, and he is regularly involved in strategic discussions and decisions alongside our partners and Board.”
The Duke is still featured as a founder and patron on the Travalyst website, as he founded the company to help “both travelers and travel companies make better, greener choices.”
Harry claimed that the idea for the company came to him in 2012 on a trip to the Caribbean, where he had an eye-opening experience with a seven-year-old youngster.
The youngster approached Harry at a coral reef replanting effort and said something that “touched on a powerful truth,” as Harry subsequently explained: “I had a 7-year-old come up to me, tug my shirt, and say with such conviction, ‘Because of your country, my country’s coral reef is dying.'”
He added: “This boy, despite his age, had touched on a powerful truth. He already understood that the environmental damage caused to the reef was created by the actions of people outside of his country.
“And he was absolutely spot on. His words deeply affected me because they revealed the full impact outsiders can have on a community without even realizing it.”
According to Sean O’Meara of the Daily Mail, “This move to lower Harry’s prominence as Travalyst enters a new phase of growth looks and feels strategic.” It’s not an oversight.
“Harry had become something of a lightning rod for negative PR which was harming perceptions of the organisations he was trying to support.”
Despite his environmentalist credentials, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have been chastised for traveling worldwide on private jets.
In a speech, the Duke defended his conduct, citing security concerns for his family, saying, “We can all do better. And while no one is perfect, we are all responsible for our own individual impact; the question is what we do to balance it out.”
