Speaking to TTG, Nuttall said businesses will benefit from having a clear training plan when it comes to fortifying their ranks. 

"I will hold my hands up – we haven’t always been the best when it comes to training," the Travel Village Group chief executive admitted.

"But now we are very good, and in turn we have great people in the business. But we have to be the best for a candidate and offer them the training they need to progress both professionally and personally."

As the industry recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, Nuttall said training will be important as businesses look to grow and capitalise on a positive start to 2023.

"Travel is an attractive industry to work in and we have to keep an eye on the situation with schools and recruitment, which is also key," he advised. 

Another way to attract new talent is by highlighting the benefits of working in the travel sector, Nuttall added.

"When working in the travel industry, staff should have the opportunity to travel, as it is one of the biggest bonuses of working in the sector," he said.

"But we need to make sure we get a return on investment on any travel we are doing, by telling new recruits to promote not only their businesses, but also the tour operators to help the industry grow as a whole, which benefits all of us."

He also said one of the keys to a successful career in travel is being surrounded by a supportive network of friends and family. 

"It is great when you have got people in your business who have family and friends who are invested and supportive of what they do," he said.

"There is that trust element, travelling is hard and there are long, antisocial hours, and most of the time you are travelling on your own."

Nuttall’s advice comes as he looks to take on two new recruits of school-leaving age.

"We have got a great track record when it comes to hiring locally," he continued. "Last year we brought in two young people from Blackpool into our training scheme and they are both now fully integrated in the team.

"It is important to try and make sure we can continue to produce home grown talent, and we want to make sure we are contributing to the local economy by bringing that new talent into the travel industry."