united nations world tourism organization sustainable tourism

UN urges investment in clean, sustainable tourism, as numbers bounce back

Facebook Twitter Print Email

International tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with tourist numbers rising to 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On World Tourism Day, marked on Tuesday, the UN is calling for a major global rethink of the sector, to ensure that tourism is sustainable, and benefits local communities.

The UN World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ) released encouraging news on Monday, with its latest World Tourism Barometer, which shows that international tourism arrivals almost tripled in the first seven months of 2022 (compared to the same period in 2021).

Cautious optimism

The agency’s Panel of Tourism Experts expressed cautious confidence for the rest of year, and into 2023, despite the uncertain economic environment: increasing interest rates, rising energy and food prices, and the growing prospects of a global recession, continue to pose major threats to the sector.

In a message released to mark the Day, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, hailed tourism’s ability to drive sustainable development, and called for more investment in clean and sustainable tourism, the creation of decent jobs, and for measures to ensure that profits benefit host countries and local communities.

Go green to survive

“Governments, businesses and consumers must align their tourism practices with the Sustainable Development Goals and a 1.5 degree future”, said Mr. Guterres, referring to international agreements aimed at keeping global warming in check. “The very survival of this industry, and many tourist destinations, such as Small Island Developing States, depends on it.”

“The restart of tourism everywhere brings hope,” declared Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, in his address at the opening of the official celebrations organized for the Day, in the Indonesian resort city of Bali.

Mr. Pololikashvili described tourism, which employs around 10 per cent of the global workforce, as the “ultimate cross-cutting and people-to-people sector, which touches on almost everything we do.”

Report card

To mark the day, UNWTO launched its first World Tourism Day Report , the first in an annual series of updates and analysis of the Organization’s work guiding the sector forward.

The report contains updates on the agency’s activities in key areas including gender equality, sustainability and climate action, tourism governance and investments and innovation.

Representatives of the G20 group of the world’s leading economies, including tourism ministers, will meet in Bali in November. Ahead of the event, UNWTO has produced a set of guidelines for ministers, to enable them to support resilient and sustainable tourist businesses, which take into account human capital, innovation, youth and women empowerment, and climate action.

Ensure zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation: UN rights expert

An independent UN rights expert released a statement ahead of the Day, to call for Governments to ensure that the tourism industry is free from child forced labour, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. 

Mama Fatima Singhateh, UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and socioeconomic setbacks have caused enormous strains on child protection systems.

This, she said, has made children more vulnerable to sale, trafficking and sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism, especially in countries that have traditionally relied on the income generated from travel and tourism.  

Tourism and the climate crisis

• In response to concerns surrounding the impact of the tourism sector on the climate crisis, UNWTO launched the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism at the 2021 UN Climate Conference (COP26), which was held in the Scottish City.
• Signatories commit to supporting global commitments to halve harmful emissions by 2030, and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050, implement climate action plans, and report on their progress on an annual basis.
• To date more than 530 organizations have signed the Declaration, including major international companies, and tourism boards from a wide variety of countries.  

December 2022 - You are accessing an archived version of our website. This website is no longer maintained or updated. The Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform has been migrated here: https://sdgs.un.org/

You will be redirected to the new Partnership Platform in 10 seconds.

• A/70/472 - Sustainable development: report of the Second Committee [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/193 - International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, 2017 [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/196 - Sustainable tourism and sustainable development in Central America [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• A/RES/70/200 - Global Code of Ethics for Tourism [Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]
• Compendium of Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism

Search form

United nations world tourism organization (unwto).

Activity Start date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity End date ongoing:  Ongoing Activity:  UNWTO takes charge of the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. UNWTOpromotes the value of tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmentalsustainability, and offers leadership and support in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.Recognizing the UNWTO’s role in promoting the potential of tourism in fighting poverty and achieving the SDGs,the UN General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development(IY2017) and as of July 2017, UNWTO features on the DAC/OECD’s list of development assistance organizations.Tourism is included in SDG 14: ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources forsustainable development’ (besides the SDG 8: ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth,full and productive employment and decent work for all and SDG 12: ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production’).Nevertheless, given its cross-cutting nature, it can advance on all 17 SDGs.• In recent years, several capacity-building activities have been carried out by UNWTO and its member states(on a bilateral or regional level) and also with the support of some of the UNWTO Sustainable TourismObservatories in various coastal countries. An example of such a successful project could be the COASTproject (http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf).• UNWTO pays special attention also to the situation of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and to theirchallenges related to the development of a sustainable tourism.• Given the importance attached by UNWTO to the maritime, coastal and inland water tourism, upon theproposal of the Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness, the 22nd General Assembly adopted in China, inSeptember 2017 the definition of “Maritime, coastal and inland water tourism”. The adopted definitions areavailable on this page: http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf. Objectives:  Promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism including maritime, coastal and inland water tourism Lead Organization/Partners :  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Scope of Activity:  Global Websites:  http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/documents/Non_recurrent_e_publication_Oceans_final.pdf http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/ctc_definitions_en_web.pdf Activity Start date:  Ongoing Activity End date:  Ongoing Submitted By:  Relevant Stakeholder Relevant Stakeholder:  United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

• Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific (RSOAP)
• Member States in Asia and the Pacific
• SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OBSERVATORIES (INSTO)

© UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific (RSOAP)

Ecotourism: The Concept and the Practice of Sustainability Within Tourism

• First Online: 21 September 2024

Cite this chapter

• Cláudia Toriz Ramos 5 &
• Allison Margaret Byrne 6  

Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

15 Accesses

Sustainability is a challenge for tourism since it often implies travelling and high levels of consumption. As a concept, sustainable tourism envisions a major change: making tourism compatible with environmental sustainability without hindering both the economic and the social benefits it brings. It is therefore about introducing a third arm of positive impacts, which are environmental impacts. Tourism thus becomes an interesting focal point in a sustainability research agenda, due to the opportunity it creates for testing the possibilities of convergence between the economic, the social and the environmental pillars of sustainability. Ecotourism is a particular type of tourism and, given its specificities, a privileged field for testing sustainability, whether ‘strong’ or ‘weak’. The chapter has two main foci: the genesis and conceptual contours of ecotourism within sustainable tourism and policy-oriented practices, standardisation and benchmarking in sustainability. Additionally, a selection of cases in ecotourism are presented in brief, in order to characterise ecotourism as a field for the sustainability research agenda.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Amici A, Nadkarni N, Lackey N, Bricker K (2022) Conservation, education, and adventure tourism: a case study of adventure parks as potential venues for communication in Monteverde, Costa Rica. J Ecotour 21(3):230–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2021.1933503

Analytica O (2022) Costa Rica tourism is on course for recovery. Expert Briefings. https://doi.org/10.1108/OXAN-DB271411

Ayres RU, van den Bergh J, Gowdy J (2001) Strong versus weak sustainability: economics, natural sciences and “Concilience.” Environ Ethics 23(2):155–168

Google Scholar  

Beall J, Boley B (2022) An ecotourist by whose standards? developing and testing the Ecotourist Identification Scale (EIS). J Ecotour 21(2):99–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2021.1919126

Cardoso A, Abreu Amorim C (2021) European climate law–real changes or postponed future? UNIO–EU Law J 7(1):138–147. https://doi.org/10.21814/unio.7.1.3574

Costa Rica Tourism Board (2023) Ecotourism. https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/things-to-do/ecoturism

Commission Decision (EU) 2016/611 of 15 April 2016 on the reference document on best environmental management practice, sector environmental performance indicators and benchmarks of excellence for the tourism sector under Regulation (EC) Nº 1221/2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)

Commission Decision (EU) 2023/705 of 29 March 2023 amending Decisions (EU) 2017/175 and (EU) 2018/680 as regards the energy efficiency requirements for EU Ecolabel tourist accommodation and EU Ecolabel indoor cleaning services for certain energy-related products

Council Regulation (EEC) Nº 1836/93 of 29 June 1993 allowing voluntary participation by companies in the industrial sector in a Community eco-management and audit scheme

DestiMED (2019) Homepage. https://destimed.interreg-med.eu/

DestiMED PLUS (2022) Ecotourism Impact Report Assessment of the environmental impact of tourists in DestiMED PLUS project destinations. Project Report. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b07c60a96e76f9f641cdad6/t/6332b4f43908a52f2c1be894/1664267515213/2022-DestiMED-Plus-Ecotourism-Impact-Report.pdf

DestiMED PLUS (2023) Developing Ecotourism in Mediterranean Protected Areas. https://destimed-plus.interreg-med.eu/

European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment (2020) EMAS and the tourism sector: case study, Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2779/76398

European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment (2021) The EU ecolabel for tourist accommodation–The EU ecolabel is the official European Union label for environmental excellence, Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2779/817800

European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (2022) Transition pathway for tourism. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2873/344425

Ecotourism Australia (2023a) ECO Certified Tourism. https://www.ecotourism.org.au/our-certification-programs/eco-certification

Ecotourism Australia (2023b) ECO Certification Essentials. https://www.ecotourism.org.au/sites/ecotourism/media/pdfs/brochures/eco-certification-essentials.pdf

European Commission (n.d.) The reference document for the Tourism sector. https://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/emas/tourism.html

European Commission (2023) EU Tourism Dashboard. https://tourism-dashboard.ec.europa.eu/background-methodology?lng=en

EK-Ecotourism Kenya (2023a) Standards & Best Practices. https://ecotourismkenya.org/blog/portfolio-item/standards-best-practices/

EK-Ecotourism Kenya (2023b) Community Development. https://ecotourismkenya.org/blog/portfolio-item/community-enterprise-development

Fennell, DA (2020). Ecotourism. Routledge, New York, London

Gale T, Hill J (eds) (2016) Ecotourism and environmental sustainability: principles and practice. Routledge, London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315578767-2

GEN-Global Ecotourism Network (2022) Definition and Key Concepts. https://www.globalecotourismnetwork.org/definition-and-key-concepts/

GFN-Global Footprint Network (2023) Ecological Footprint. https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/

GSTC-Global Sustainable Tourism Council (2019) GSTC Destination Criteria. Version 2. 06 December 2019, with Performance indicators and SDGs. https://www.gstcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/GSTC-Destination-Criteria-v2.0-with-SDGs.pdf

GSTC-Global Sustainable Tourism Council (2022a) GSTC Criteria Overview. https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-criteria/

GSTC-Global Sustainable Tourism Council (2022b) GSTC Recognized Standards. https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-criteria/gstc-recognized-standards/

Hall CM (2019) Tourism and rewilding: an introduction–definition, issues and review. J Ecotour 18(4):297–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1689988

Hunter C (2016) Thinking globally about ecotourism impact: The contribution of ecological footprint analysis. In: Gale T, Hill J (eds) Ecotourism and environmental sustainability: principles and practice. Routledge, London, pp 31–48

ISO (2023) ISO 14024:2018. Environmental labels and declarations. Type I environmental labelling–Principles and procedures. https://www.iso.org/standard/72458.html

Jackson G (2022) Ecotourism. In: Environmental science. Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Environmental Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.378

JoE (2015) Special issues: ecotourism in africa thirty years Later. J Ecotour 14(2–3). https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/reco20/14/2-3

Jordan A, Gravey V (2021) Environmental policy in the EU. Actors, institutions and processes. 4th edn. Routledge, London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429402333

Koščak M, O’Rourke T (2023) Cultural and Heritage Tourism–a potential for local sustainable tourism and development? In: Koščak M, O’Rourke T (eds) Ethical and responsible tourism: managing sustainability in local tourism destinations. Routledge, London, pp 44–59

Leal Filho W, Azeiteiro U, Alves F, Pace P, Mifsud M, Brandli L, Caeiro SS, Disterheft A (2018) Reinvigorating the sustainable development research agenda: the role of the sustainable development goals (SDG). Int J Sust Dev World 25(2):131–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2017.1342103

Lemelin R, Blangy S (2009) Introduction to the special issue on aboriginal ecotourism. J Ecotour 8(2):77–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724040902730581

Little M, Blau E (2020) Social adaptation and climate mitigation through agrotourism: a case study of tourism in Mastatal, Costa Rica. J Ecotour 19(2):97–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2019.1652305

Mancini M, Evans M, Iha K, Danelutti C, Galli A (2018) Assessing the ecological footprint of ecotourism packages: a methodological proposition. Resources 7(2):38. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources7020038

Mancini M et al (2022) Ecological footprint and tourism: development and sustainability monitoring of ecotourism packages in mediterranean protected areas. J Outdoor Recreat Tour 38:100513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2022.100513

McCool SF, Bosak K (2019) A Research agenda for sustainable tourism. Edward Elgar Pub, Cheltenham

MEET-Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (n.d.) MEET Ecotourism Standard. https://www.meetnetwork.org/monitoring-platform

MEET-Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (2019) MEET Manual. A guide to plan and promote ecotourism activities and measure their impacts in Mediterranean Protected Areas following the MEET approach. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b07c60a96e76f9f641cdad6/t/5db2fd4c98002f2cfe53a030/1572011372292/MEET_manual_2019.pdf

MEET-Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (2023) Homepage. https://www.meetnetwork.org/

Neger C (2022) Ecotourism in crisis: an analysis of the main obstacles for the sector’s economic sustainability. J Ecotour 21(4):311–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2021.1942019

Purvis B, MaoY, Robinson D (2019) Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins. Sustainy Sci 14:681–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5

Rewilding Europe (2023) Making Europe a wilder place. https://rewildingeurope.com/

Regulation (EC) Nº 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009 on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS), repealing Regulation (EC) Nº 761/2001 and Commission Decisions 2001/681/EC and 2006/193/EC

Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) Nº 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’)

Sanchez RV (2018) Conservation strategies, protected areas, and ecotourism in Costa Rica. J Park Recreation Admin 36(3):115–128. https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2018-V36-I3-8355

SINAC-Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (n.d.) Tourism Program in Wild Protected Areas. https://www.sinac.go.cr/EN-US/turismo/Pages/conosturis.aspx )

TFEU-Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/oj

TIES-The International Ecotourism Society (2019) What is Ecotourism? https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/

Tourism4SDGS (n.d.) Tourism for SDGs. A Platform developed by UNWTO. https://tourism4sdgs.org/

UNGA-United Nations General Assembly (2017) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017. A/RES/71/313

UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organisation (n.d.a) Sustainable Development. https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development

UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organisation (n.d.b) Tourism in the 2030 Agenda. https://www.unwto.org/tourism-in-2030-agenda

UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organisation (2023) Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism. https://www.unwto.org/tourism-statistics/measuring-sustainability-tourism

UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organisation (2002) Québec Declaration on Ecotourism. UNWTO Declarations 12(2), UNWTO, Madrid. https://doi.org/10.18111/unwtodeclarations.2002.12.02

UNWTO-United Nations World Tourism Organisation (2017) UNWTO names president of Costa Rica as special ambassador of the international year of sustainable tourism for development. 10 May 2017. https://www.unwto.org/archive/global/press-release/2017-05-10/unwto-names-president-costa-rica-special-ambassador-international-year-sust

Weaver D (2005) Comprehensive and minimalist dimensions of ecotourism. Ann Tour Res 32(2):439–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2004.08.003

Wondirad A (2019) Does ecotourism contribute to sustainable destination development, or is it just a marketing hoax? Analyzing twenty-five years contested journey of ecotourism through a meta-analysis of tourism journal publications. Asia Pac J Tour Res 24(11):1047–1065. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2019.1665557

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. CEPESE, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 de Abril, 349, 4249-004, Porto, Portugal

Cláudia Toriz Ramos

Escola Superior de Saúde. Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 de Abril, 349, 4249-004, Porto, Portugal

Allison Margaret Byrne

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cláudia Toriz Ramos .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Walter Leal Filho

European School of Sustainability, European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Amanda Lange Salvia

Production Engineering Department, Federal University of Paraíba - UFPB, Joao Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Claudio Ruy Portela de Vasconcelos

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Ramos, C.T., Byrne, A.M. (2024). Ecotourism: The Concept and the Practice of Sustainability Within Tourism. In: Leal Filho, W., Salvia, A.L., Portela de Vasconcelos, C.R. (eds) An Agenda for Sustainable Development Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65909-6_5

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65909-6_5

Published : 21 September 2024

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-65908-9

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-65909-6

eBook Packages : Earth and Environmental Science Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Inside Prince Harry's Intimate Event at the United Nations

The Duke of Sussex spoke movingly at the United Nations about how Lesotho has been "a home away from home."

As any longtime New Yorker knows, the annual United Nations General Assembly is a week to avoid midtown Manhattan as best you can— especially on the day that Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver his final UNGA address of his presidency. Roads are inevitably closed, sidewalks are barricaded off, and making it to any destination that is unlucky enough to be within a ten-block radius of the United Nations headquarters requires minimum double the amount of time it normally takes.

However, this morning, I ventured not just into the vicinity of the United Nations, but to the building itself. I was there to report on a sideline event hosted by Lesotho's delegation to the UN, which gathered royalty and first ladies from around the world to discuss "pressing development issues." The intimate hour-long presentation featured Prince Harry; Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho; Neo Jane Masisi, the First Lady of Botswana; and Suzanne Innes-Stubb, the First Lady of Finland, speaking about issues ranging from gender-based violence to mental wellness to HIV and AIDS.

Though the event was scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., the royal family of Lesotho entered the room shortly before noon. As the Queen and King of Lesotho entered the space it quieted, and the 100 or so gathered attendees—mainly foreign dignitaries who were attending UNGA—waited for the Duke of Sussex to make an appearance. When he arrived just a few minutes later, and excited murmurs swept through the small crowd. He quickly embraced King Letsie III as he entered, the older brother of his longtime friend, Prince Seeiso.

"We are here because we have a shared conviction that a safer, more dignified world, is not only possible—but achievable, if we all work in unison," Queen Masenate began her address.

Prince Harry's remarks to the small gathered group took a decidedly personal tone. He began by speaking in English then Sesotho, a language of Lesotho. "I would like to start by extending my deepest gratitude to Their Majesties for their continued friendship," Harry said. "The Lesotho royal family, as well as Lesotho itself, has been a pillar of strength for me over the last 20 years, welcoming me with open arms and such kindness."

He continued, "The beautiful mountain kingdom feels like a home away from home, that friendship has only grown stronger as we've worked together to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the pursuit of people and the wider world. It all began two decades ago, when my dear friend Prince Seeiso first gave me a tour of your special country. I was struck by the strength and courage of your people amidst the immense challenges they face."

Prince Harry first visited Lesotho in 2004, during his gap year between graduating Eton and beginning at Sandhurst military academy. Two years later, he and Prince Seeiso co-founded the charity Sentebale , which means forget-me-not in Sesotho, in honor of their mothers. Sentebale is dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable children in Lesotho—those who are victims of extreme poverty or suffering due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. "When we first started he was a young man, straight from school. He was eager to absorb, and over the period I’ve seen him grow tremendously," Prince Seeiso told T&C a few years ago. "Not only grow as a person, but his passion for the charity and for the cause of young people who are seemingly on the margins."

The key focus of the organization—helping young people thrive, no matter their circumstance—aligns with Prince Harry's mission in advocating for mental health support for all ages. During today's remarks, the Duke emphasized the importance of what he describes as mental fitness. "Good mental health, mental fitness, is not a luxury. It is a necessity. For every single one of us," he said. Harry added, "We must be brave enough to speak and be kind enough to listen."

After his address, Harry listened intently to the rest of the remarks, and even when the session ran over its allotted time, he made no move to leave. As the event came to a close, Harry spoke with the King and Queen of Lesotho , and many attendees tried to not-so-subtly snap a photo of him.

While the first day of Harry's solo trip to New York City focused on his mother's legacy , with events spotlighting the Diana Award and the HALO Trust, the Duke's schedule on his second day was much more varied.

He began the morning with an address at the Clinton Global Initiative, focusing on online safety as it relates to children, and in the afternoon, Harry attended an event marking five years of Travalyst , the nonprofit he founded, which focuses on sustainable tourism. He spoke for around ten minutes to a small gathered group about the mission, and future, of the organization. "Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working in conservation alongside communities that serve as the true guard of some of the world's most breathtaking and vulnerable places," he said near the start of his speech. "Through this work, I've seen firsthand how travel and tourism can be a double edged sword—a force that has the potential to do tremendous good or if it's managed inflicts serious harm."

While the event felt less personal in tone from his morning remarks at the UN, the Duke of Sussex did speak about his children and his fears about the ongoing threat of climate change.

"Every year we break new temperature records," Prince Harry shared. "On the 22nd of July earlier this year, we experienced the hottest day ever. Dr. Sally Uren's organization Forum for the Future , shared a report with me that said that somebody born in 2020 is likely to experience eight times the number of heat waves, four times the number of droughts, three times the volume of crop failures and three times the number of river floods that a person born in 1960. As a father of two children, that's absolutely terrifying. The level of suffering is heartbreaking and the cumulative cost of recovery has us permanently on the back foot. It also shows the vital need to take a systems approach to ensure we focus on the root cause and not the symptoms that is going to require all of us pushing in the same direction."

After, he spent time schmoozing with those in attendance, still energetic despite his nonstop 48 hours of events in support of causes near to his heart. And then, it was finally time to leave midtown.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

Royal Family News

Finalists Revealed For the 2024 Earthshot Prize

How Much Does the Royal Family Cost the UK?

Prince Harry Reflects on Princess Diana's Legacy

Prince Harry in NYC September 2024

Kate Middleton Drives Herself to Church

Princess Diana Changed Her Met Gala Look

Harry & Meghan Haven't Endorsed a Candidate

Lady Amelia Windsor Wears a Fall-Ready Transitiona

British Royals in New York City Through the Years

Princess Elisabeth Starts Classes at Harvard

Amelia and Eliza Spencer at London Fashion Week

Kate Middleton Holds Windsor Castle Meeting

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• British Royal Family
• British Royal Family News

Prince Harry's Initiative Travalyst Celebrates Its Five Year Anniversary in N.Y.C.: 'Massive Force for Good'

The Duke of Sussex, too, just celebrated a milestone, turning 40 years old on Sept. 15 ahead of his whirlwind trip to New York City

J Mayer/Shutterstock

Prince Harry ’s busy New York City trip spotlights many causes close to his heart — including his work with the environmental tourism initiative Travalyst , which is celebrating a milestone anniversary.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, founded Travalyst five years ago in 2019, when he was still a working royal. The initiative was developed with a mission to help “both travelers and travel companies make better, greener choices,” according to its website, and on Sept. 24, Prince Harry joined the non-profit as it announced its strategy for the next five years.

"I've seen firsthand how travel and tourism can be a double-edged sword, both a force that has the potential to do tremendous good or, if mismanaged, inflict significant harm," Prince Harry said. "These experiences, as well as years of conversation and debate around campfires with experts that I'm proud to call friends, have shaped my understanding of the critical bond between people, wildlife and the environment we share."

Craig Barritt/Getty

Part of the company's five-year strategy includes an initiative to centralize the collection and distribution of sustainability data for key aspects of travel and tourism to help travelers make informed decisions about how and where they travel to, according to a release from Travalyst.

"By 2030, we're expecting 1.8 billion international arrivals each year, nearly double the numbers we saw just two decades ago," Prince Harry said. "That kind of growth can only be sustainable if we prioritize not just profit, but people and places, too. And this is where Travalyst's work becomes so crucial. Together, Travalyst and its partners represent a combined market value of nearly $3 trillion. This is a massive force for good, and we're committed to using it to ensure that travel not only sustains communities, but helps them thrive."

Long term, Travalyst aims to consider other areas of travel and tourism such as rail, activities and destinations. It also announced Sept. 24 it had expanded its leadership team to include two executive hires — Julie Cheetham, who is the company's new chief operations officer, and who also helped found the Weeva platform, which Travalyst announced on Sept. 24 that it had acquired. Also brought onto the team is Amina Razvi, who will serve as chief partnerships and development officer.

"Tourism has the potential to make an incredible difference if we channel it with good intentions," Harry said at the Sept. 24 event. He added, "I believe we are on the verge of something truly transformative."

Chris Jackson/Getty

"Today, there is no single source of truth for sustainability data for the tourism industry," Travalyst CEO Sally Davey said in a statement. "The information that does exist is fragmented, incomplete and often behind paywalls. This can leave the industry feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, and travelers confused and disengaged. We want to help change that. Travalyst is working to align the industry behind the same sustainability data for accommodation providers, and then scale this information so that travelers see the full picture of where they are staying, beyond price and reviews. We aim to do this in a way that democratises access to information and ensures vital sustainability data is available to everyone.”

Although the company wasn’t established until 2019, Harry said he first thought of the idea as far back as 2012. During a visit on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth , to a coral reef replanting project in the Caribbean, Harry had a memorable conversation with a young boy. The meeting “touched on a powerful truth,” Harry said in a September 2019 speech.

“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.’ 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.”

Harry added, “His words deeply affected me, because they revealed the full impact outsiders can have on a community without even realizing it.”

As Harry launched Travalyst five years ago , he said he learned through his own travels that “our world faces environmental challenges of unprecedented scope and scale,” he said. “From deforestation and the loss of biodiversity to ocean plastics and poaching, the problems can sometimes seem too big to fix.”

As an avid traveler himself, Harry, aims to travel responsibly. “By promoting and incentivizing sustainable decision-making, by helping us as consumers stay better informed and by empowering communities, Travalyst will strive to change both the travel industry and the world for the better — and for the long term,” the Duke of Sussex said at Travalyst’s 2019 launch.

Of Harry’s passion, Davey said “I think having Prince Harry involved in these sorts of discussions is vital .” She added of the Duke of Sussex, “It’s so obvious that he cares.”

Harry’s trip to N.Y.C. kicked off on Sept. 23 with engagements with The Diana Award, The HALO Trust and African Parks. On Sept. 24, in addition to work with Travalyst, Harry also took part in the Clinton Global Initiative and spoke about his deep appreciation for the country of Lesotho at the United Nations.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Harry’s visit to N.Y.C. was announced via a spokesperson on Aug. 27, when it was made public that the Duke of Sussex would visit N.Y.C. during UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week. Climate Week kicked off on Sept. 22 and runs until Sept. 29, and High-level Week runs from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27.

Prince Harry is visiting New York City to “advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic activities,” the spokesperson said, adding he would also “be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.”

Related Articles

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Share this content.

• Share this article on facebook
• Share this article on twitter
• Share this article on linkedin

About UN Tourism

UN Tourism’s leadership vision acknowledges the most pressing challenges facing tourism and identifies the sector’s ability to overcome them and to drive wider positive change, including the opportunities responsible tourism offers for the advancement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UN Tourism members have endorsed the Management Vision of the Secretary-General which seeks to position tourism as a policy priority, lead in knowledge creation, enhance the Organization’s capacity through building new and stronger partnerships , and offer better value for existing Members while also expanding membership.

To realize the Management Vision, UN Tourism’s work is based around five distinct pillars:

• making tourism smarter through celebrating innovation and leading the digital transformation of the sector;
• making tourism more competitive at every level through promoting investment and promoting entrepreneurship;
• creating more and better jobs and providing relevant training;
• building resilience and promoting safe and seamless travel; and
• harnessing tourism’s unique potential to protect cultural and natural heritage and to support communities both economically and socially.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. 

UN Tourism encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism , to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.

UN Tourism generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world. 

UN Tourism’s membership includes 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members and over 500 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

Basic Documents

Our management.

The management team works towards a comprehensive vision for development of the tourism sector. This includes positioning tourism as a policy priority, establishing thought leadership in knowledge and policy creation, increasing resources and strengthening UN Tourism’s capacity through meaningful partnerships.

Governing Bodies

 The bodies of the World Tourism Organization are the:

• General Assembly
• Regional Commissions
• Executive Council
• Secretariat

Member States

An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers

Working With the Private Sector

Bringing together over 500 companies, educational and research institutions, destinations and NGOs, the UN Tourism Affiliate Members provides a space for members to engage in dialogue, share information and take further action.

UN Tourism Liaison Office in Geneva

As part of the UN Tourism Geneva Liaison Office (GVLO) scope of work to represent UN Tourism to the UN System and Diplomatic Missions in Geneva and in building strategic partnerships for increased capacity, GVLO has participated in numerous United Nations System led activities.

UN Tourism Tourism Ambassadors

UN Tourism’s Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism are drawn from the worlds of sport, entertainment, business, gastronomy and more.