Photo:Karwai Tang/WireImage
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Prince Harryremains committed to his environmental tourism initiative,Travalyst.
Speculation that the British royal, 38, was parting ways with the company began after Chief Executive Officer Sally Davey issued apress releasein May that announced a new “phase of growth” for the company and welcomed new board members without a mention of Harry.
“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 May release explained. “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.”
The British royalfounded the green travel initiativein 2019, which Davey shared in a statement to PEOPLE makes him an “invaluable part” of the company.
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“Prince Harry is the founder of Travalyst and remains an invaluable part of this organization,” Davey said Monday. “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 of Sussex’s name alsoremains listedon the company’s website as a founder and patron.
The company was developed with a mission to help “both travelers and travel companies make better, greener choices,” according to itswebsite.
Although the company wasn’t established until 2019, the prince said hefirst thought of the ideaafter a 2012 visit to a coral reef replanting project in the Caribbean in which he was traveling on behalf of his grandmother,Queen Elizabeth. The trip bought an unexpected interaction with a 7-year-old boy. The meeting “touched on a powerful truth,” Harry said.
“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 explained in a September 2019 speech.
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source: people.com
