From 140 to 500 Tours: How MV Luxury Travel Turbocharged Growth with Smart Software

• Summary

• Company: MV Luxury Travel (boutique Scottish luxury inbound operator)
• Challenge: Rapid growth.
• Solution: Business process transformation, powered by new systems.
• Result: Faster planning, stronger guest trust, and a growth-ready operation.

The Challenge:

Growing Pains in Paradise

Take a moment to imagine: You have a great product. Clients love you. Five star reviews are pouring in. But there is a problem. You are drowning in Excel sheets and Word documents.

That was MV Luxury Travel in 2023. 

The Facts

• Team of 4 handling 140 tours each year exploded to 500 tours a year
• Manual processes eating up precious time
• No integration between systems
• The operations team was juggling spreadsheets while the sales team waited

“We used to manage about 140 tours a year. Suddenly, we were up at 500, and that was the moment we realised we needed to rethink everything.”

Helen Kidd, Operations and Sales Manager, MV Luxury Travel

The North American market exploded after Covid. Demand was through the roof. But MV Luxury Travel’s systems were still stuck in 2019.

The Founding Story

MV Luxury Travel was founded by Struan Baird. Struan worked in both tourism and luxury which gave him the insight to spot a gap in the market. There was no dedicated luxury inbound operator for Scotland. Working with director and co-founder Ruaridh Norton, MV Luxury was launched in 2019.

From day one, the focus was clear.

“There are not many companies in the UK that specialise purely in luxury travel.

We do not do coach tours.

We do not do budget packages.

We are specialists for the five star market.”

Struan Baird, Co Founder, MV Luxury Travel

The timing was tough. Months after launch, the pandemic hit. Borders closed. Business vanished. But the team kept going.

When borders reopened, demand from North America came roaring back. About 95 percent of their itineraries are chauffeur driven and all are tailor made. Signature experiences include whisky tastings, golf, castles, history, and hidden local gems.

The Lightbulb Moment

It became clear that Word documents could not keep up with demand. Within three months, MV Luxury went looking for a better system and chose Tourwriter.

“To be honest, it was a game changer. A 14 day itinerary in Word could take you a full day. Now our sales staff can send five or six itineraries every day.”

 

Struan Baird, Co Founder, MV Luxury Travel

“Without Tourwriter, we would never have had the capacity to produce 40 or 50 tours a week. It changed everything.”

 

Helen Kidd, Operations and Sales Manager, MV Luxury Travel

What changed when MV Luxury Travel moved to Tourwriter?

Embracing change

Tourwriter did not just save time. It changed how the team worked.

“We have great images and now we can present them beautifully. The layout and Google Maps integration are very good. Our itineraries help conversions because they look so professional. Clients love how fast we can send a custom itinerary.”

Helen Kidd, Operations and Sales Manager, MV Luxury Travel

Ease of use also helped.

“Anyone can use it. New staff watch a short video and they are ready in 30 minutes.”

Helen Kidd, Operations and Sales Manager, MV Luxury Travel

The polished itineraries helped MV Luxury stand out. But their supplier management also sets them apart.

“There are some distilleries where we can offer private tours. We can get clients onto golf courses that are hard to access. It is local knowledge that makes the difference.”

Helen Kidd, Operations and Sales Manager, MV Luxury Travel

Tourwriter helps them manage suppliers behind the scenes with a supplier library, allocations, and payments.

Future Opportunities

MV Luxury has proven that strong growth is possible with Tourwriter as the core system. They began with chauffeur driven tours in Scotland. Today they offer luxury travel across the British Isles.

• Luxury Ireland Tours brings their five star style to the Emerald Isle.
• Private Tours Scotland serves guests wanting privacy and exclusive access.
• Luxury England Tours offers journeys through historic cities and countryside.

Their multi brand strategy helps them serve North American travellers who often want to combine Scotland, Ireland, and England in one trip.

In 2025, three of their brands won Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards. Luxury Scotland Tours won for the second year in a row.

Momentum grew again after their acquisition by Active Travel Group in 2025. With new resources and cross brand collaboration, MV Luxury is ready for the next stage of growth.

With more than 4,700 itineraries created this year and over 500 tours, Tourwriter is helping them deepen supplier partnerships and manage growing demand.

MV Luxury is building a multi destination luxury travel house that wins awards and delights guests.

About MV Luxury Travel

Founded in 2019 by Struan Baird and Ruaridh Norton, MV Luxury Travel is a leader in bespoke chauffeur driven tours for the five star market. What began with Luxury Scotland Tours has grown into Luxury Ireland Tours, Private Tours Scotland, and Luxury England Tours.

With 90 percent of their business coming from North America, they are known for itineraries that mix famous highlights with exclusive local experiences.

MV Luxury Travel is now part of the Wilderness Group.