Murray Travel expands Lapland charters to further five regional airports

Murray Travel has expanded its Lapland day trip programme with departures out of a further five airports.

The Scottish travel agency announced the return of its exclusive one-day trips out of Inverness Airport to Finnish Lapland last month, which followed the success of last year’s two sold-out charters.

The agency has now expanded its range of same-day charters under its tour operation brand The Lapland Experience, with departures out of Newquay, Aberdeen, Derry, Southend and Teesside. The trips run in December 2026.

Scott Murray, Murray Travel chief executive, said: “We knew there was strong demand for more regional Lapland programmes following the success of our Inverness departures. We have taken the opportunities where presented [to expand].”

He said customers could book and manage their day trips online following a partnership with technology company Travelgenix.

The fully transactional, automated booking process lets clients search, select and confirm trips in real time rather than relying on a traditional, enquiry-led sales process.

Murray said: “We do have someone for people who want to call and need aftercare, but what we have seen is that 95% of people are happy self-serving.”

Within five hours of Inverness seats going live, the operator had sold 58 out of a total allocation of 187, with every booking completed online.

Murray said the partnership had enabled the company to increase conversion speeds as well as “remove friction, reduce admin and give customers exactly what they expect”. 

“The speed at which bookings came through on launch day shows just how important that is,” he said, adding: “There is a lot of noise in the industry about AI and automation being led by the biggest brands. What we have proven here is that you do not need to be a major online travel agent to deliver a seamless, high-converting booking experience.”

Travelgenix chief executive Andy Speight said speed, automation and ease of booking were directly linked to revenue. 

He added: “There is a perception that advanced technology, automation and AI-led booking experiences are only available to the biggest players. That is simply no longer the case.

“What we are seeing with The Lapland Experience is proof that businesses of all sizes can access the same level of technology as the major brands. This is about giving the industry the tools it needs to compete, protect margin and grow.”