The findings from C&M come despite an almost 13% jump in average travel salaries during H1 to £37,747, which follows a 12.5% uptick during the same period last year, and a near 7% increase in standard travel salaries (those paying up to £40,000) to £31,275, which too follows a 6% rise during H1 2023.

C&M said the increases appeared to stem from a large number of roles paying between £40,000 and £55,000, which is below the threshold for what it describes as senior travel salaries (those paying upwards of £60,000).

Pay for these roles has dropped by around 8% during H1 2024 to £53,925, contrasting starkly with a 17% pay uptick in senior travel salaries during H1 2023.

The increases mean the average wage for new travel jobs has risen by £4,302 since the first half of 2023, while pay for standard travel travel jobs has increased by £1,985.

’Not the full story’

"On the face of it, salaries in the travel industry are increasing by double digits year after year, which is fantastic news, but this isn’t the full story," said C&M managing director Barbara Kolosinska.

"Wages are certainly rising for some in-demand roles, and we are seeing an increasing number of positions that are now offering very attractive salaries in the £40,000 to £55,000 range. This is excellent news for candidates at this level who now have a range of roles offering salaries at the same level as similar positions in different industries.

"However, after the big hike in pay for lower-level roles that we saw following the pandemic, wage growth for many of these positions has now stalled. This gives these employees little incentive to re-enter the jobs market and change roles."

In addition, after a resurgence in travel recruitment activity during the first half of 2023, new candidate numbers fell by 11% during H1 2024 compared with the same period last year. New vacancies were also down in H1 by more than a third (34%) while the number of new travel jobs being filled also fell by around a third (32%).

"The year has also seen an overall dip in recruitment activity in the travel industry due to a combination of factors," Kolosinska continued.

"After the pandemic, there was an unprecedented increase in travel recruitment between autumn 2021 and spring-summer 2023. Many companies filled long-term vacancies during this period using a significant amount of their recruitment budgets, and now have a smaller number of vacancies to fill.

"But with the recent general election providing clarity regarding the government’s position going forward, we’re hopeful that this will inspire confidence and prompt many travel companies to broaden their recruitment plans."