Meg Elzea, Google industry manager, global travel, told Abta Travel Trends 31% of people had said they were planning an international trip when quizzed in October. This compared with only 19% a year earlier, but she said: “There is still a lot of hesitation in the marketplace.”

Google expects business travel to recover to only 70% of pre-pandemic levels. “This has implications for the leisure market,” she said.

Paul Guerrieria, Google’s strategic insights lead, said there had been “a reassessment of the costs and benefits businesses get” from travel.

However, one good piece of news for the industry was the rise in premium air travel by corporate customers.

“Premium options come up time and again. I think a lot of that is tied up with health care.”

He advised agents to help clients overcome complexity in itineraries caused by the pandemic: “Make the complex simple. People are finding it really hard to take and manage trips.”