Prince Harry flies into Amsterdam to talk about responsible tourism

Britain’s prince Harry made a flying visit to Amsterdam on Tuesday to launch a project aimed at boosting sustainable tourism.

The prince, who has come under fire in recent weeks for using private jets, has reportedly been working on the project, which includes partners such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor, for two years.

The project, known as Travalyst, is ‘aimed at improving conservation, environmental protection and expanding local community economic development by encouraging sustainable tourism practices across the travel industry,’ according to a press release.

As yet is is unclear what the new organisation will actually do. ‘The partnership will initially explore and promote solutions that help drive sustainable practices and consumer choices in areas including; supporting local people, protecting wildlife, tackling climate change and environmental damage, and alleviating over-tourism,’ the  statement said.

The choice of Amsterdam as a launchpad is notable, as the city is grappling with the impact of too much tourism in the city centre.

Asked about his use of private jets, Harry said he flew commercial to Amsterdam, which he does 99% of the time. But he said during a Q&A session that he uses other travel methods at times to ‘ensure that my family are safe’.

‘We are all responsible for our own individual impact,’ he told news agency AP, adding that ‘we can all do better’ when it comes to the environment.