Why we tore up the 'rulebook': The story behind Scotland’s first non-profit travel agency

The cliché insists that travel opens the mind. But this year, in 2026, sitting on the banks of the Mekong River in Laos, travel completely broke my business model.

I didn't start out trying to revolutionize the industry. When I launched my first travel business in late 2018, I had just returned from Australia and Asia, armed with nothing but drive and a background in seasonal highland jobs. I had zero financial backing and zero business development support. My very first sale was a Hoseasons caravan stay. It wasn't the glamorous, high-ticket itinerary travel agents love to post about, but it was a win.

For years, I built the business the hard way. I worked a full-time job alongside it to pay the bills. I navigated the total industry shutdown of COVID-19, spending 2020 working for free to process cancellations and refunds while my own income vanished. By the time the industry recovered, I was seeing 50% year-on-year growth, specializing in tailor-made itineraries and accessible travel; a massive blind spot in mainstream tourism.

Yet, the more I grew, the more the traditional agency model frustrated me. As the number of independent agents swelled, the support from host agencies shrank. I was losing money to commission cuts while receiving less and less backing. The industry was broken for the independent experts selling the trips, but I was about to find out it was equally broken for the people at the destination.

The Mekong realization

This year, 2026, while finishing my university degree in International Tourism Management, the cost of living in the UK and a university placement letting me work remotely allowed me to make a radical decision. It was cheaper, and more exciting, to live out of hotels in Asia than to stay at home, so I took my work on the road.

I expected to find inspiration. Instead, I found a wake-up call.

Taking a river cruise from Houayxay to Luang Prabang in Laos, I saw the true cost of dependency. We visited tribal villages where the schools sat bleak and empty. I sat in restaurants full of tourists, entirely run and served by local children. Visitors thought it was charming; I saw a community forced into survival mode with no real blueprint for the future.

Further down the river, the physical impact of unmanaged tourism was everywhere. Even in beautiful Luang Prabang, the markets were flooded with imported goods rather than local craftsmanship. I spent time learning traditional basket weaving and walking through underrepresented villages where residents still relied on shaman doctors and lacked basic digital skills or libraries.

It was here in Laos, meeting with the owners of Brother Tours, the local agency who organized my entire trip of the country, that the final piece clicked into place. Seeing them operate as sustainably as possible within that environment solidified the reality: tourism simply wasn't working. The communities we visit are too dependent, and are receiving only a fraction of the value they generate. We aren't helping enough.

That realization followed me. In Vietnam, I found bustling cities that still battled poverty, though there were glimpses of hope for a better model away from the over-touristed hubs of Hoi An and Hanoi. In Thailand, the performative side of "sustainable" travel became impossible to ignore. Even at highly rated eco-sanctuaries for elephants, I watched children brought out to dance for wealthy tourists with zero cultural context, leaving me constantly questioning where the money was actually going. How do these animals live once the tourists go to sleep.

Building a new blueprint

I returned to Scotland knowing I couldn't just sell holidays anymore. The system needed a complete rebuild.

That is why I launched Yule Travel Group as a registered Community Interest Company. We are Scotland’s first non-profit travel agency, and the UK’s first non-profit host agency. We have fundamentally changed how travel money moves, built on three core pillars:

​Direct local investment

 100% of our retained profits are legally locked to fund local enterprise at the destination. Not handouts - sustainable, targeted investment . We partner with organizations to fund immediate microloans, while aggressively investing in the digital skills, educational infrastructure, and environmental regeneration that communities require to self-sustain long after the visitors go home.

​A new host agency model

We are fixing the broken host system from the ground up. For underrepresented entrepreneurs, our Incubator provides a free "business-in-a-box" and ongoing training. For established independent agents, we offer industry-leading commissions, zero ongoing fees, and the freedom to focus entirely on their niche. We back them with a collaborative internal referral system so the right specialist gets the booking and nobody loses financially. Most importantly, every agent in our network gets to arm their business with our ultimate commercial advantage: the ability to guarantee their clients that their holiday is directly funding local enterprise.

Specialist excellence

From pioneering accessible travel options to launching our own future "Made from the Mekong" pilot project, we ensure that when a customer needs a specialist, they get true expertise.

Same dream trips. Same or better prices. Much bigger impact: every booking turns holiday spend into local enterprise abroad and supports independent travel specialists at home.

This isn't everything. It's just the beginning.

Ready to plan your next journey with true travel specialists?

From bespoke tailor-made itineraries and handpicked cruises to immersive tours and accessible travel, we craft trips around you. And if you've already found a mainstream package, we'll secure it at the same price; while locking 100% of our retained agency profits in local community development.

🌍 Explore Package Holidays, Tailor-Made Trips, Cruises & Tours at yuletravel.co.uk

✉️ Planning a custom journey or got a quote? Talk to our specialists at hello@yuletravel.co.uk

Ready to build a travel business built on fairness, not fee cuts?

Whether you like our Incubator "business-in-a-box", commission rates up to 90%, or just our zero-fee host support for established independent specialists, build your future with us.

💼 Join the movement or explore the Incubator at yuletravelgroup.org.uk