Prince Harry has been in New York City this week as part of a series of engagements for his patronages and philanthropic initiatives, including Travalyst, a program that aims to explore and improve conservation efforts at tourist destinations around the world.
He was joined on stage by Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President of Global Social Impact and Sustainability at the Expedia Group, and Aditi told HELLO! how impressed she was by the Duke's commitment to use his platform for good.
"We were able to have a bit of a meet and greet with him, and his support and leadership for this organization is just so amazing," she told HELLO! after the panel, adding that Harry's willingness to publicly support the campaign "really provides the right kind of visibility" and offers "the right kind of leadership that we need" to "encourage action from the top".
© John NacionThe panel also featured Sally Davey, Travalyst Chief Executive and Gianni Marostica, Managing Director of Global Business Development at Google. and discussed how companies can come together to revolutionize travel and decrease the greenhouse gas emissions which currently contribute 11% globally.
"I think one of the things that's difficult for people is to understand how they can make an impact when it comes to climate change," Aditi shared.
"This is a really big topic that many people care about, but they don't know what their role looks like in addressing it, and honestly the mission of Travalyst is to help make that easier for everyday individual travelers to make better sustainable decisions and choices and to encourage the industry to take action."
© Chris JacksonAnd despite skepticism from many, Aditi is positive about the changes the travel industry can make: "Probably one of the biggest takeaways is that the travel industry is working together to really advance sustainability, provide travelers with better options around what sustainable travel looks like and encourage the industry to take the issues of climate change more seriously."
The Duke, who has made a solo visit to New York to carry out engagements with charities close to his heart, had earlier in the day appeared on stage at the Clinton Global Initiative, delivering a passionate speech about how imperative it is to tackle the challenges caused by the online world.
© John NacionThe father-of-two, who resides in Montecito with wife, Meghan, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was a star panelist at the end of a 90-minute session entitled Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Taking out his phone from his inside jacket pocket, Harry said: "My lock screen is a picture of my kids. What's yours?"
Photos of young people shown as images on mobile phone lock screens appeared on the large screen behind him and he movingly told the audience how these children had all died "too soon and all because of social media," and that they were the inspiration for the Archewell Foundation's Parents Network, a support network for parents of children affected by online harm.
The former royal also appeared at an event with The Halo Trust on Monday, which works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts.
He said: "Much has changed in my life and the world since 2019 when I first visited. In those five years, I've become a father for the second time. And while you don't need children to have a stake in the future of our planet, I do know that my mother would have been horrified that anyone's children or grandchildren would live in a world still infested with mines."
Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, worked closely with the organization before her death in 1997, famously walking through an active landmine in Huambo, Angola, in a bid for an international ban.
