Murray Travel celebrates 10th anniversary with gala dinner

Murray Travel celebrated its 10th anniversary last week by hosting more than 100 guests for a seven-course ‘around the world’ tasting menu in the Highlands.

The four-branch agency invited a range of suppliers to The Sun Dancer in Nairn for the event on Wednesday, November 27, with a staff dinner held the previous evening in Inverness.

Scott Murray, who runs the business with his wife Sarah, said the gala dinner in Nairn was the biggest event the agency had hosted to date.

More: Your Stories: Scott Murray expanded Murray Travel during the pandemic

Asked how it felt to have notched the 10-year milestone, he said: “It’s good – when we set out, we never intended it [Murray Travel] to grow into what it’s become.”

The first shop opened in Inverness on November 26, 2014, with branches later following in Elgin in 2021, Forres in 2022 and Nairn in 2023.

The presence in Elgin and Forres came about following the acquisition of Alba Travel and Beaver Travel, a move which Murray regards as one of Murray Travel’s most important decisions because of the jobs that were saved.

“We initially protected four or five jobs, but then we recruited ex-staff who had already gone,” he said, adding that the total number of staff across the business currently stands at 30.

Asked whether further expansion was a possibility, he said there were no plans at the moment but “never say never”.

“If the right opportunity came up, we would take it,” he added.

Demand has started to plateau since the post-pandemic boom, Murray noted, yet there has been a growing interest in long-haul destinations and “experiential travel” and it is anticipated that these trends will continue to gather pace.

“People are wanting more,” said Murray. “They’re wanting more than fly and flop – although some people still want that and that’s fine. But more people are realising that time off is well-earned and they want to make the most of it. They don’t want to just sit by the pool.”

Travellers are increasingly influenced by the destinations they see on social media and TV, Murray said, with considerable demand noted for “Instagrammable” experiences.

“I think we’ll see that style of booking grow within our business,” he said.

He added that he believes short-haul trips will frequently become customers’ second holiday, with long-haul destinations being the priority. South America in particular holds much potential, Murray said.

Asked about challenges facing the business and the wider sector, he pointed to air capacity being lower than before the pandemic and highlighted recruitment as likely to be the major issue in the coming years.

“England has got a great programme of apprenticeships, but we don’t have that in Scotland. That’s going to be the biggest challenge,” he said, adding: “We’re going to run out of talent at some point.”

He would like to see the development of on-the-job training for travel and tourism, perhaps with an assessor visiting “once a fortnight”.

“I think there’s a real opportunity there but it’s going to take a few heads getting together to make it happen,” he said.

During the celebratory event in Nairn, attended by 105 guests, a range of prizes were presented to suppliers, while Stars in their Eyes finalist George Gordon provided the entertainment and Alex Fleming delivered the after-dinner speech.

Photo: Sarah Murray, Scott Murray and Ross Sharratt at Murray Travel’s 10th anniversary gala dinner