Sabre and Mastercard are the latest companies to join Travalyst, the not-for-profit organization founded by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
The coalition, which already counts Booking.com, Expedia Group and Trip.com Group as partners, aims to help inform consumer travel choices by making sustainability information mainstream.
Amadeus, Google, Skyscanner, Travelport, Tripadvisor and Visa are also part of the coalition.
Brad West, head of partnerships at Travalyst, said, “The addition of Mastercard and Sabre aligns with our partnerships strategy and adds further scale to our mission. Bringing a payments technology leader on board, as well as enhancing our presence among key technology providers to the travel industry, means we are strategically poised to deliver on our mission to mainstream sustainability information within the travel industry to help drive change.”
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Chad Wallace, global head of commercial solutions for Mastercard, said, “We envision a world where each swipe, click or tap provides businesses and consumers with the opportunity to make more sustainable choices. By joining the Travalyst coalition, we can further activate the power of our global network, insights and technologies to empower travelers to better understand the environmental impact of their business and leisure trips."
Kristin Hays, chief communications and sustainability officer for Sabre, said, “We’re committed to taking on the biggest opportunities and solving the most complex challenges in travel, so we’re thrilled to be joining forces with Travalyst and our peers in the industry to help drive more sustainable travel decisions.”
Recent research from Phocuswright revealed that while travelers have good intentions when it comes to sustainable travel, they often feel they don’t have the information on how to travel sustainably.
The Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It) report revealed that while travelers say they will opt for transport and accommodation with a lower carbon footprint, it doesn’t remain top priority when it comes to the transaction.