Scott Dunn, one of the longest-established tour operators in the luxury travel sector, is to join forces with Imagine Travel after making a significant investment in the business.

Imagine, also based in London, was created by founder Ben Morison in 2004 as a specialist provider of luxury holidays to Africa but has since grown to offer Latin America, India and Asia. Imagine expects to report revenues of around £13million this financial year as its business grows due to increasing demand for longhaul tailor-made holidays.

The strong Imagine Travel brand will remain in place as a result of the deal, which will enable Scott Dunn to provide vital support in marketing, IT, HR, Commercial and Operations so that Imagine can grow even more quickly in the years ahead.

Imagine aims its product offering at a wide range of luxury travellers who are interested in taking more adventurous journeys at a good price. It has exceptionally high satisfaction ratings which aligns perfectly with Scott Dunn’s very high levels of repeat guests.

Scott Dunn has grown substantially in the 27 years since it was founded. It now employs over 100 people in the UK as well as several hundred overseas and has a turnover of around £35million.

Scott Dunn Chairman, Andrew Dunn, commented: “Scott Dunn and Imagine have very little overlap in terms of guests so this investment makes absolute sense in terms of our ambitious growth plans and Imagine’s desire to enter new markets with our support. We will be able to share our significant expertise in the luxury travel sector with the talented Imagine team, enabling them to potentially expand into areas that they don’t yet serve, as well as offer even better service to their guests.

“For the coming financial year, our combined turnover is expected to be close to £60million, enabling us to move towards an ultimate goal of £100million of revenues by 2016 through organic and acquisitive growth.”

Ben Morison, Founder of Imagine Travel, added: “Scott Dunn and Imagine make a perfect fit. With this investment we can continue to grow into new markets, invest in our operations and build a strong team that has exceptional knowledge of Africa and newer markets such as Latin America and Asia.”