Inspired by MillicentMargarets spot on post Ive become quite fascinated by Travalyst and what its ultimate purpose (if any) might be. Ive been looking at the formal documents and filing history of Travalyst and an intriguing story eventually emerges. I'm sorry its long and I will try and "Campagne" it but the whole thing is very revealing and not immediately obvious. Certainly none of our useless preening press seem to have noticed.
Travalyst starts life as a new "Global Initiative" launched with highly professional razzamatazz on the Royal Family Website and at an event in Amsterdam on 3rd September 2019.
It is described as a "new partnership" to "bring travel companies together" to "promote ethical and sustainable travel".
Amongst the Household names persuaded to allocate part of their PR budgets to this obscure hokum and attach their brands to a still popular member of the pre-eminent global soap opera (without frankly having to do much) are Ctrip, BookingCom, Skyscanner, TripAdviser and Visa. Several lucky members of these firms upper adminisphere of wokeflakes have fetched up at some fancy hotel in Amsterdam so they can tell their friends (who dont already know) what Harry smells like.
Harry makes a long and essentially meaningless speech , though in contrast to what is to come as the highly accomplished RF machine cede control to a half-educated bit part cable-tv actress, it is very well-written.
To summarise Travalyst is in the "encouragement" side of the do gooding business. Everyones going to be encouraged to travel in and to environments in need of a dose of ethics and sustainabilty by ethical and sustainable means. Destinations are going to be "upheld" and "travellers" the pretentious name middle class people give to tourists or holidaymakers are going to be "encouraged"to leave those communities "better". It is (still) entirely unclear how or even if these gaseous post-colonial objectives might be achieved, but they sound nice to idiots.
Is all the kind of bullshit you get in the Lifestyle Sections of self-styled progressive newspapers. Where amidst the advertorials for £600 blouses and house makeovers by millionairre architects called Tarragon and Hugo; us rubes are advised how to have an "ethical Xmas" with decorations made from recycled brown paper. gifts of timeshare goats in Botswana and penitential vegan "feasts" by people who spend December in the Caribbean.
Shortly after this it appears things started to go precipitately downhill and behing the scenes Madame has her full time cunt on. Nothing Travalyst happens - though the difference between that and anything Travalyst might actually do other than make speeches remains unclear.
Most importantly it doesnt exist as any kind of seperate corporate entity. It is simply an "intiative" supported by Harry under the aegis of the BRF. A key part of the discussions in January must have been how they were going to seperate all such intiatives and roles. That and all the lovely
