<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates hit 17-month high</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements jump</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies up 31 per cent</li>
</ul>
Recruitment activity rebounds&nbsp;
The number of new candidates searching for <a href="/jobs/">UK travel jobs</a> has jumped to its highest level in 17 months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
With a 31 per cent increase from May 2026 and a 38 per cent rise from June 2025, last month's total was the highest since <a href="/news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-hit-12-month-high/">January 2025</a> and the second highest since November 2023.
It was also a positive month for placements, with the number of candidates finding <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> jumping by 56 per cent from May and by nine per cent from last June. This was the highest number of placements seen in a single month since last November.&nbsp;
Similarly, there was a strong increase in the number of new travel jobs being made available during the month, with June seeing a 31 per cent jump from May and an 11 per cent rise from June 2025.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After a run of inconsistency, last month was a truly positive one for travel recruitment. We saw new job vacancies, <a href="/candidates/">candidates </a>and placements rising both month-on-month and year-on-year for the first time in three and a half years - since January 2023!
"July and August is a traditionally quieter period for the sector, but June&rsquo;s figures provide great momentum as we head into the heart of the summer. The travel jobs market is now the busiest that it's been for some time with many fantastic opportunities available for those looking to progress their career and those wanting to <a href="/clients/">add great talent to their team</a>."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / <a href="mailto:owen@candm.co.uk">owen@candm.co.uk</a>) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / <a href="mailto:barbara@candm.co.uk">barbara@candm.co.uk</a>).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – June 2026

Travel jobs market soars in June

C&amp;M Travel Recruitment is excited to launch the UK travel industry's <a href="/salary-guide/">first salary benchmarking tool.</a>
With average travel wages&nbsp;continuing to increase, having access to accurate and up-to-date salary data has never been more important.&nbsp;That's why we've created this <a href="/salary-guide/">salary tool&nbsp;</a>- and made it available for free to all UK travel companies.
Combining real travel data from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment and the Office for National Statistics, the tool lets companies benchmark salaries across a wide range of travel positions, helping them make informed decisions - whether they're reviewing pay structures, preparing budgets or planning new hires.
The guide allows travel companies to:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Compare salaries across travel roles</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Track salary trends over the past decade</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Understand current market rates</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Compare geographical salary differences across the UK</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Support recruitment and retention strategies</li>
</ul>
Speaking about the launch, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "We've been looking to create a tool like this for some time, and we're delighted to now be able to launch it. This is a challenging period for many travel companies with every penny being watched, so this is the ideal time to offer this <a href="/salary-guide/">comprehensive salary guide</a> &ndash; for free &ndash; to all travel companies operating across the UK.
"The tool allows businesses to compare themselves against their competitors, and drill down into data for specific travel positions in specific areas across the UK. We really hope this salary benchmarking tool will be a benefit to travel companies across the UK and help support them as they plan budgets or look to recruit."

Are your salaries keeping pace with the rest of the travel industry?

C&M launches travel's first salary benchmarking tool

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small dip in new candidates</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies and placements also down</li>
</ul>
Activity eases in late spring
Recruitment activity in the travel industry slowed in May as global events continued to impact the market, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Candidates, vacancies and placements all fell on both a monthly and annual basis &ndash; the first time this has happened since last June.
Holding relatively consistently, the number of new candidates searching for a <a href="/jobs/">job in the travel industry</a> dipped slightly in May, with a two per cent fall from May 2025, but a larger 16 per cent decrease from April 2026.
There was also a fall in the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel job opportunities</a> during the month, with May's total falling by seven per cent from April and by 26 per cent from May 2025.
Rounding out the trio, May saw placements fall back by 33 per cent from April and by 41 per cent from May 2025.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After an unsteady few months in recruitment, global events are now clearly having an impact on many travel companies' current staffing plans. While it is incredibly difficult to forecast, there are signs that we may be nearing the end of the Iran war and that the next few months could become more stable, but it is simply too early to tell.
"What is clear is that, despite the uncertainty, many <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> are still actively exploring current opportunities &ndash; and attractive roles with appealing salaries will be increasingly sought after."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – May 2026

Travel recruitment slows in May

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Five-month high for travel job placements</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates up 9% year-on-year</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies dip</li>
</ul>
Positive month for job placements
The number of new <a href="/jobs/">travel job</a> placements has reached its highest level of the year so far, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
April's total rose by nine per cent from the previous month to record the largest volume since November. Last month's figure was also up by four per cent from April 2025.
It was also a positive month for candidate numbers, with the volume of <a href="/candidates/">new travel job applicants</a> rising to its second highest level in 15 months. Despite falling by five per cent from March 2026, last month's total was higher than any other point since January 2025 and was up by nine per cent from last April.
Less encouragingly, the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> has dipped to its lowest level so far this year. With a 15 per cent monthly drop, April 2026's total was the lowest since December and was also down by 28 per cent from April 2025.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With the Easter holidays, April can often be a quieter month for travel recruitment, so it&rsquo;s very welcome news to see placements increasing both month-on-month and year-on-year. This is the best month of 2026 so far for job placements, but we really need to see this momentum carry on throughout spring and into the summer months.
"While there was a dip in new vacancies last month, this has created real opportunities for those <a href="/clients/">travel companies currently looking to recruit</a>. Candidate volumes have remained healthy throughout the year, meaning there is great travel talent available right now for any companies advertising attractive roles with competitive salaries."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – April 2026

Travel job placements hit 2026-high

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates up 34 per cent</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements up from Feb</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">But new jobs dip</li>
</ul>
Busy month for travel candidates
The number of new candidates looking for <a href="/jobs/">jobs in the travel industry</a> has jumped to its highest level in 14 months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
March's total was up by 19 per cent from February and up by 34 per cent from last March to reach the biggest total since January 2025.
It was a more mixed month for placements, with March's figure rising by 22 per cent from the previous month, but standing 41 per cent below last March.
Finally, there was a dip in the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> being made available last month, with the figure falling by 29 per cent from February and by 24 per cent from March 2025.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "March was an especially busy month for new <a href="/candidates/">travel job seekers</a> with candidates jumping by more than a third compared to the same time last year. However, it was a month of contrasting fortunes &ndash; with candidates well up, placements rising compared to February but down from last year, while new jobs fell back.
"With the current global political situation, it should perhaps be no surprise to see a reduction in recruitment activity, but it's far too early to say whether this is a brief blip or the first signs of something more pronounced. We will of course be following it closely. But in the meantime, the increase in active candidates means that those <a href="/clients/">companies currently recruiting</a> have the choice of some fantastic travel talent right now."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – March 2026

Travel job seekers jump to 14-month high in March

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Travel industry&rsquo;s gender pay gap widens again in 2025
&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Men in travel taking home 21.90 per cent more than women
&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Females take vast majority of lower paid roles&hellip;
&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &hellip;while males awarded most high-earning jobs
The gender pay gap in the travel industry widened again in 2025, according to new research from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
As an average across the industry, women working in travel took home 21.90 per cent less than male colleagues last year, compared to gaps of <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2024/">13.83 per cent in 2024</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2023/">11.15 per cent in 2023</a>.
This is the biggest overall pay gap since 2016 when the difference stood at 24.62 per cent.
This meant that the gender pay gap totalled &pound;8,496 in 2025 (up from &pound;5,238 in 2024 and &pound;3,678 in 2023), with women earning an average of &pound;34,547 (down from &pound;35,245 in 2024) while men received &pound;43,043 (up from &pound;40,483 in 2024).
However, the overall gap was skewed due to two key factors &ndash; women took the vast majority of the travel industry&rsquo;s lower-paid roles in 2025, while men were awarded most of the highest salaried positions.
For <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999">lower-paid roles</a> (those paying up to &pound;29,999) women out-earned men by 0.88 per cent (or &pound;234). However, women were placed in 78 per cent of travel's lowest paying roles last year &ndash; up from 69.3 per cent in 2024 and 68.5 per cent in 2023.
In contrast, men took 61.3 per cent of the <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">highest earning travel roles</a> (those paying &pound;60,000 and above), which was up from 61.1 per cent in 2024 and 57.9 per cent in 2023. The gender wage gap at the top of the industry stood at 7.80 per cent with male executives taking home around &pound;5,979 more than female equivalents in 2025.
Women were placed in 63.8 per cent of <a href="/jobs/#/35-000-39-999">roles paying between &pound;30,000 and &pound;39,999</a> (down from 70.0 per cent in 2024 and 67.6 per cent in 2023, with men earning an average of 2.23 per cent or &pound;747 more than women - compared to a gap of 1.47 per cent in 2024.
The gap was more pronounced at the <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">&pound;40,000-plus level</a>, with men taking 54.8 per cent of all roles (up from 43.7 per cent in 2024 and 32.9 per cent in 2023). The pay gap at this level stood at 12.52 per cent in 2025, with men outearning women by an average of &pound;7,040.
Overall, females continued to be awarded most <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> in 2025 with a total of 63.4 per cent. However, the total is down slightly from 66.1 per cent in 2024, 68.3 per cent in 2023 and 70.7 per cent in 2022.
Speaking about the findings, <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "We've been conducting these travel industry gender pay gap reports for more than a decade now, and we set out with the hope that the gap would be narrowed &ndash; or even eliminated &ndash; quickly. To see that the gap has actually widened for the second year in a row is hugely disappointing.
"We should stress that at most of levels of our industry, we have not seen any evidence of a wide pay gap between male and female colleagues working alongside each other in comparable roles.&nbsp;
"The issue is a broader one, in that women are increasingly being placed in the majority of the travel industry's lowest paying jobs, while men are being awarded more and more of the top positions in our industry.
"There are a number of reasons for this &ndash; including more women than men opting to take career gaps to start a family &ndash; but it is still very disheartening to see that women are not progressing to the top of travel at the same rate as men.&nbsp;
"The travel industry is an incredibly attractive and inclusive place to work, but we still have more to do if we are to eliminate this gender gap. If the top of our industry is to represent that overall inclusivity that we cherish, then we need to create clearer career progression opportunities for our female workers and encourage them to push for the top jobs in our sector."
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C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M reveals travel's gender pay split - 2025

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel roles jump 22 per cent</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and placements dip</li>
</ul>
Strong month for travel vacancies
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new job opportunities in the travel industry</a> has risen to its highest point in a year, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's total was up by 22 per cent from January to reach a level not seen since February 2025.
However, there was a small fall in the number of new <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> searching for travel jobs last month, with February's total dipping by 11 per cent from January. The figure was also down by nine per cent from February 2025.
It was also a quieter month for placements with the total easing by 14 per cent from January 2026 and by 47 per cent from February 2025.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "For the market to be buoyant we need healthy numbers of new and exciting roles each month. So it's great to see that more <a href="/jobs/">travel jobs</a> were made available in February than at any point in the last year.
"Of course, we now need this to filter through into more placements being made in the next few months, but this is a very positive sign. Less welcome was the small dip in new candidates, which will mean that clients have a smaller talent pool to choose from. But hopefully the big increase in roles &ndash; with many offering fantastic salaries too &ndash; will encourage more <a href="/candidates/">jobseekers</a> to explore the opportunities that are currently out there.
"As a recruitment company, ultimately we're only as busy as our clients, so we'll be watching the situation with each of them carefully over the coming months."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – February 2026

New travel job vacancies hit 12-month high

When I sit down with hiring managers and directors across the UK travel industry, one topic always rises to the top of the agenda: pay. Not just what travel businesses are paying, but whether current benefits packages are competitive enough to attract and retain the talent they need &mdash; especially as we head into another busy year for travel.
We&rsquo;ve now seen <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2025/">four consecutive years of travel salary increases</a>, and there&rsquo;s a lot beneath that headline figure. The nuance matters &mdash; and understanding it means we can hire smarter, benchmark better and build teams that thrive in 2026.
Here&rsquo;s how I see the salary and benefits landscape shaping up for UK travel right now.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
Travel Wage Growth: Still Rising, But More Slowly
Our own <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2025/">Travel Salary Index 2025</a> shows that the average travel salary increased by 1.78% in 2025 to &pound;37,695. It&rsquo;s the fourth successive year of annual increases, and the average wage for a new travel job has now risen more than a third (37.3%) since 2021.
But here&rsquo;s the key point: the pace of growth has slowed considerably. In 2024, travel salaries jumped by 8.43%, and in the two years before that, they rose by more than 11% annually.
So why the slowdown? There's several factors at play:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Market conditions tightened throughout 2025, with vacancies softening and candidate activity easing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Employers have become more cautious across the UK as a whole. Recent data from Adzuna shows the total number of advertised jobs across the UK fell in January to levels not seen since the pandemic &ndash; even as average pay climbs nationwide</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Salary expansion at the lower end of the market has been patchy, particularly for standard roles &mdash; more on that below</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
Senior Roles Are Pulling Ahead
One of the clearest signals from our data is that senior and high-earning roles are seeing the strongest growth.
In 2025, <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">senior travel positions</a> (those paying &pound;40,000 and above) recorded an 8.23% bump in pay, and we saw a big uptick in the number of roles on offer at &pound;80,000-plus.
By contrast, <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel jobs</a> &mdash; those paying under &pound;40,000 &mdash; experienced a 1.84% annual pay fall last year. That&rsquo;s the first decline we&rsquo;ve seen in four years, even though the average standard role is still paying substantially more than it was back in 2021.
From the perspective of a hiring leader, these trends have clear implications:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">If you&rsquo;re recruiting for mid-to-senior level roles, you&rsquo;re competing in a market where salary expectations are rising more sharply</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">For entry-level or standard jobs, wage growth has softened &mdash; meaning that <a href="/news/recruiters-views/how-to-recruit-top-travel-talent-and-retain-your-key-players/">non-salary components</a> (such as career paths, flexibility, culture, progression, benefits) are increasingly decisive</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Alternatively, blending a competitive base with the right commission incentives can be a powerful way to attract high performers without simply escalating fixed costs</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
Context from the Wider UK Labour Market
Understanding travel salaries in 2026 means we also need to look at the broader UK jobs landscape. Over the past year, total job vacancies in the UK have dropped and competition for roles has risen &ndash; even as advertised pay continues to grow.
This highlights an important point: while travel has its own salary dynamics, it doesn&rsquo;t operate in isolation. Candidates often compare offers against other sectors, and while travel pay has risen in recent years, we still risk losing talent to industries with stronger wage momentum.
For travel employers looking to entice top talent into our industry, the best approach is to offer an attractive salary combined with a great company brand, as well as flexibility, clear career paths and incentives that only the travel industry can offer &ndash; such as fam trips and holiday discounts.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
Final Thoughts
Yes, pay in the travel industry has risen over the past four years, but the slowing pace of growth and uneven nature of increases mean hiring leaders must think more innovatively about how they attract and retain talent.
1. Benchmark regularly, not occasionally Annual or quarterly salary reviews are great &mdash; but market conditions change swiftly. Keep your data refreshed and relevant
2. Segment your offers Senior roles deserve a different pay strategy to entry-level positions. One size does not fit all
3. Focus on the total offer Combine an attractive salary with progression opportunities, a strong company culture and perks unique to the travel industry
If you&rsquo;d like up-to-the-minute benchmark data tailored specifically to your area &mdash; whether that&rsquo;s retail, cruise, corporate travel or luxury &mdash; <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">I&rsquo;d be delighted to talk with you</a>. 
We&rsquo;ve been doing this since 1998, so we have a lot of stats! But understanding the numbers is one thing. Turning them into hiring success is quite another.
Let&rsquo;s build better teams together this year.
By <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

Travel salaries are still rising — but the picture is changing. Here's how employers can stay competitive this year

Salary trends in UK travel: What hiring leaders need to know

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New candidates reach highest total in 12 months</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Big rise in new travel jobs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small fall in placements</li>
</ul>
Busy start to 2026 for travel recruitment
The number of new candidates <a href="/jobs/">searching for travel roles</a> jumped by almost two thirds in the first month of 2026, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
January's total was <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-jobseekers-reach-highest-december-total-in-8-years/">up by 62 per cent from December 2025</a> and was the second highest figure in 20 months behind only <a href="/news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-hit-12-month-high/">January 2025</a>.
There was also a strong increase in <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> in January with a 61 per cent rise from December. Despite this, last month's total dipped by 38 per cent from last January.
Finally, there was a small decrease in the number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs last month, with a nine per cent fall from December 2025 and a 12 per cent dip from January 2025.
Speaking about the stats, <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "For the upcoming year to be successful for travel recruitment, we need a healthy influx of new applicants and job openings. So to see candidates and vacancies record month-on-month increases of more than 60 per cent each in January is incredibly encouraging.
"This is a strong start to the year and we're hopeful that these figures will convert into positive numbers of new job placements in the months ahead. But what we need is consistency, so we'll be watching closely to see if this momentum can be maintained throughout the spring."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – January 2026

Travel job seekers jump 62 per cent in Jan

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Average wages rise 1.8 per cent in 2025</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Senior roles see biggest pay increase</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel pay has risen 37 per cent since 2021</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Dip in annual recruitment activity</li>
</ul>
Travel wages rise at slower rate
Salaries for the average job in the travel industry rose by 1.78 per cent in 2025 to set a new high of &pound;37,695, according to the 2025 <a href="/news/press-releases/">Travel Salary Index</a> from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the year.
This was the fourth successive year of wage increases, with the Covid-affected year of 2021 being the only year to not record annual growth since 2014.
However, 2025's rise of 1.78 per cent (or &pound;659) was significantly slower than that of recent years which saw increases of <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2024/">8.43 per cent (or &pound;2,880) in 2024</a>, <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-overview/">11.56 per cent (or &pound;3,539) in 2023</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">11.53 per cent (or &pound;3,166) in 2022</a>. Average wages for a new job in the travel industry have risen by more than a third since 2021 with growth of 37.32 per cent or &pound;10,244.
Last year's increase was largely driven by the 8.23 per cent rise in pay for <a href="/jobs/#/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">senior travel roles</a> (those paying &pound;40,000 or above), with a particular jump in the number of <a href="/jobs/#/70-000-and-above">positions paying &pound;80,000 or more</a>.
In contrast, salaries for <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel jobs</a> (those paying up to &pound;39,999) dipped for the first time in four years with a 1.84 per cent annual fall. Despite this, wages for the average standard new travel job have risen by 25.73 per cent (or &pound;6,247) since 2021.
Recruitment activity eases
The travel recruitment sector saw small falls in activity across all metrics last year, with placements dipping by three per cent, new candidates easing by seven per cent and <a href="/jobs/">job vacancies</a> slipping by 13 per cent compared to 2024.
In contrast, it was a much busier year for <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel</a> with a 65 per cent increase in job placements in the sector in 2025. Salaries for corporate travel jobs dipped by 8.89 per cent in the past year, however they have risen by 14.41 per cent since 2021 and by 26.43 per cent since the last pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director and Co-Owner at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "2025 was a mixed year for travel recruitment but there were lots of extremely positive areas to be encouraged by. Excluding the Covid era, travel salaries have now risen every year for more than a decade &ndash; and with wages having jumped by more than a third in just the past four years, travel is now in a much better place to attract the best candidates into our industry.
"Also, after a fall in activity in 2024, it's fantastic to see a big rebound in recruitment for business travel. Placements increased by a huge 65 per cent in the sector last year, which is a great sign for the months ahead.
"Less positive were the small falls in overall vacancy, candidate and placement volumes last year, but with many companies reporting a strong Peaks season, we're expecting a busy start to 2026 and we're hopeful that this momentum will continue throughout the year."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the salaries of the new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director and Co-Owner - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2025 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2025

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New candidates hit highest Dec since 2017</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies and placements both dip</li>
</ul>
Busy Dec for travel candidates
The number of new candidates beginning their <a href="/jobs/">search for a job in the travel industry</a> rose by eight per cent in December compared to the same month in 2024, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
It was the highest total for the month of December since 2017. However, last month's figure slipped by 19 per cent from November 2025.
In the traditionally quietest month of the year for the travel recruitment sector, December saw a small 14 per cent monthly fall in <a href="/jobs/">new job vacancies</a>, while the figure was down by 11 per cent from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-placements-jump-20-despite-christmas/">December 2024</a>.
Similarly, there was a 32 per cent monthly fall in the number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs in December, with the total also being down by 23 per cent from the last month in 2024.&nbsp;
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "December is always the quietest month of the year for travel recruitment and 2025 was no exception. However, there were also some encouraging figures as we head into the new year.
"Most notable was the year-on-year increase in new candidates. Last month recorded the highest December total in eight years, with many <a href="/candidates/">jobseekers</a> eager to progress their career over the holidays. Early signs indicate that January will almost certainly be a much busier month, and all eyes will now be on whether the sector can build on this momentum throughout the early months of 2026."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – December 2025

Travel jobseekers reach highest December total in 8 years

So that was 2025. From shifting salary trends to changing hiring patterns &ndash; it was <a href="/news/recruiters-views/one-year-on-what-ive-learnt-since-buying-candm/">a year of highs and lows</a>, for sure. And to help you piece it all together, I've rounded up all the best stats and insights to give you a full overview of the travel recruitment landscape &ndash; and I've also included some previews and predictions for what I believe 2026 may have in store!
Travel salaries still rising
C&amp;M's <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2025-h1-overview/">Travel Salary Index for the first half of 2025</a> found that travel salaries are still rising&hellip;BUT at a much-reduced rate than previously. This year's 3.1 per cent rise means that the average new job in travel now pays &pound;38,919, but this follows increases of 12.86 per cent and 12.58 per cent in the first six months of&nbsp;<a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2024-h1-overview/">2024</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">2023</a> respectively.
There were also big differences across the pay grades, with wages for <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel jobs</a> (those paying below &pound;40,000) falling by 1.56 per cent, while salaries for <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">senior roles</a> (those paying &pound;40,000 and above) rising by 7.39 per cent &ndash; with a large increase in the number of new positions paying &pound;60,000 or more. We'll be keeping a close eye on this to see if this trend continues in the coming months.
As for activity levels, the number of candidates, job openings and job placements all saw small falls of six per cent in the first half of 2025.
Gender pay gap widens
At C&amp;M, we've been tracking the travel industry's gender pay gap for the past decade&hellip;and unfortunately, the gap has widened.
The latest figures show that the typical female in the sector earned 13.83 per cent (or &pound;5,238) less than a male equivalent last year &ndash; up from an 11.15 per cent gap in the previous 12 months.
However, much of the gap is due to the very top-end of the industry still being male-centric, with men out-earning women by 23.81 per cent for <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">roles paying &pound;60,000 and above</a>.&nbsp;
With the gender pay gap growing, it's clear that we can't be complacent about this issue. We need to support and promote the great female talent in our industry so that they can be elevated to some of the most senior roles in our sector &ndash; this needs to be a focus for us in the New Year.
2026 and beyond
So now all thoughts lead to 2026, and all signs indicate that it will be a more positive one. From speaking to our clients in the travel industry, as well as other members of The Recruitment Network (TRN), most are quietly optimistic.
There are still no real trends, but now that the impact of the Budget has been absorbed, companies will be more likely to recruit. However, some businesses are still cautious, so we're finding more are <a href="/clients/">taking on temporary staff</a> as this is a very cost-effective, risk-free way of upskilling talent until they are in a better position to take on permanent staff.&nbsp;
We're expecting a busy start to the year, with January being a notoriously hectic month for new roles and new candidates. This does of course mean there will also be more competition for the top candidates, so we always recommend that companies let us know as soon as possible if they're looking to recruit shortly.&nbsp;
As for C&amp;M, we've got exciting plans in place as we're looking at expanding into international markets, such as America, Europe and Australia in 2026. We've had success with some clients in those locations in recent months and we want to delve deeper to grow those areas.
We're also looking to expand our team next year and explore a vertical market related to travel &ndash; more news on that soon!
Finally, I'll be getting out on the road in January and I'm looking forward to meeting up with as many of our clients as I possibly can in the first few months of 2026.
By&nbsp;<a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

All the stats for 2025 - plus predictions for the year ahead

Travel recruitment in 2025…and what 2026 has in store

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Big annual rise in job placements</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Monthly falls in candidates and vacancies</li>
</ul>
Placements rise again
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> has risen by more than a third from last year, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
November's figure was up by 36 per cent from the same month in 2024, which is the biggest year-on-year monthly increase since December 2022. Last month's total eased by a small three per cent from October 2025.&nbsp; 
There was a fall in the number of <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a> searching for <a href="/jobs/">jobs in the travel industry</a> last month with a 16 per cent drop from October. November&rsquo;s total also slipped by 11 per cent from the same month in 2024.
After rising for the two previous months, the number of new travel job vacancies also dipped in November with a 39 per cent fall from October and a 41 per cent decline from last November.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "The big annual rise in job placements is extremely welcome news, but after two very encouraging months in a row, travel recruitment activity dipped back in November.&nbsp;
"With December traditionally being the slowest month of the year for the jobs market, we're unlikely to see an immediate rebound. However, many candidates are still searching for new roles in the lead-up to Christmas, so this is a fantastic time for companies to <a href="/clients/">hire top talent</a> before competition truly heats up in the New Year."&nbsp;
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – November 2025

Travel job placements jump 36% in Nov

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates, jobs and placements all rise in Oct</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Back-to-back monthly increases across all metrics</li>
</ul>
Strong month for travel recruitment
New <a href="/jobs/">travel job opportunities</a> have risen to their highest level in eight months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
October's total increased by two per cent from September and reached its highest level since <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-vacancies-and-placements-both-jump-in-feb/">February</a>, despite slipping by 19 per cent from last October.
Similarly, the volume of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> hit a seven-month high in October with a 46 per cent monthly increase in placements. Compared to last October, the total was down by five per cent.
The month also saw the number of <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> searching for new travel jobs rising to a six-month high with a six per cent increase from September. Last month's total was the highest since April, but dipped by two per cent from October 2024.
This was the second month in a row that all metrics (candidates, vacancies and placements) have risen; marking the first time this has happened for more than four years &ndash; since June and July 2021.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "For many, many months, we have been calling for momentum and consistency in the travel jobs market - and there are now very early signs that we may be seeing this.
"For the first time since 2021, the number of new travel jobs, candidates and placements have all increased in back-to-back months. This is much needed, and while we clearly need this to continue before we can declare it a real trend, it&rsquo;s undoubtedly a positive sign for the travel industry."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – October 2025

Travel job opportunities hit 8-month high

The last 12 months have been tougher than I could possibly have expected &ndash; and have tested me in many ways. I've learnt so much since becoming Co-Owner of C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, with many wonderful highs but also some lows and real challenges.
I was a shareholder here for many years, but nothing can really prepare you for what it&rsquo;s like to own a business. It's now suddenly all on you &ndash; you&rsquo;re responsible for everything&hellip;
It's actually happening!
My amazing Co-Owner <a href="/team/duncan-tingle/">Duncan Tingle</a> and I had been in talks to buy the business from C&amp;M&rsquo;s Founder, <a href="/team/angus-chisholm/">Angus Chisholm</a>, for over ten years, but the timing was never right until around August 2024. Labour had just come into power and we knew their Budget on 30th October could impact things a lot, so we wanted to finalise it all by then&hellip;and we finally got the deal done at 11.50pm on the 29th!
The highs of getting the deal done lasted a few days at most. When <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-travel-recruitment-announces-management-buyout/">we announced it</a>, the amount of support and love that we got from business partners, clients, the team and friends was wonderful. It was truly lovely.
But almost straightaway the realisation came that we needed to get straight back to work &ndash; "Oh s###, now we&rsquo;ve got a business to run!"
I like to think that no-one internally really noticed any changes because both Duncan and I had been with C&amp;M for more than 25 years &ndash; so there were no new and unusual faces for the team to deal with or anything like that. They were incredibly supportive and excited about the buyout and we were totally transparent and honest with them about it all.&nbsp; 
Costs&hellip;SO many costs
Cash flow for the first few months was always going to be a concern, so we were really careful in managing our costs. As a shareholder, I knew we had to pay for corporation tax, VAT, the HMRC etc, but only when you're a business owner do you understand how much everything costs! It was a real shock to the system. I hadn&rsquo;t realised how much cash you need to run a successful business.&nbsp;
In the first few months, Duncan and I were logging in and checking the banking app every single day! We&rsquo;re getting a little bit more relaxed with it now, but we still check two or three times a week, just because we want to be really hands on.&nbsp;
We scrutinised everything and tried to run the business the way it should be run. We looked at every single supplier, cost and penny &ndash; we switched phone and tech platforms, adjusted advertising and sponsorships, and even found new accountants and outsourced our finance functions.&nbsp; 
We&rsquo;re a very ambitious business with two very ambitious Directors - and we want to be as profitable and successful as we can be while <a href="/clients/">delivering the very best service</a> out there.
Learn to trust
Buying a business was new territory for us so we had to trust the people we were working with and the advice we were given. Whether you&rsquo;re buying a business or just trying to lead a team day-to-day, trust is key. These people are there because of their knowledge and experience and that&rsquo;s why you&rsquo;re working with them.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s one of the main reasons we wanted to buy C&amp;M. We believe in the business, the brand, the values and the culture &ndash; and we know what a <a href="/about-us/">fantastic team</a> we have here.
Ask for help
It's now a different dynamic with Duncan. We&rsquo;ve been working together for many years, but I&rsquo;m no longer his boss; I&rsquo;m now his business partner and we&rsquo;re answerable to each other. But because we&rsquo;re open and honest, it hasn&rsquo;t caused problems. It's not easy - we&rsquo;re still learning to run a business together and we're working to each other&rsquo;s strengths, which dovetail perfectly with one another, but we both know we&rsquo;ve got a long way to go.
Because we&rsquo;re both new to this, we're now starting to work with a Business Advisor to help form our new strategy. Rather than focusing just on sales and <a href="/jobs/">job</a> placements, we&rsquo;re now working collaboratively to create a plan that will set the company up for the future.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s fantastic to work alongside Duncan, but adding a Business Advisor is a game-changer - like having an extra board member who challenges us, introduces new ideas, and keeps us focused on the future. If we could do it again, we'd have brought them in from day one.
Take time out
It&rsquo;s incredibly satisfying to know that we&rsquo;re now running a very profitable business. It&rsquo;s an amazing feeling to be able to employ and pay your wonderful team every single month.&nbsp;
However, alongside buying C&amp;M, personal issues have made the last year particularly challenging, and one thing I haven&rsquo;t had a chance to do is truly sit back and reflect on how far we've come. It&rsquo;s easy to constantly be on your phone, wanting to have up-to-the-second info and trying to fix problems instantly.&nbsp;
But that isn&rsquo;t healthy. And it isn&rsquo;t sustainable.&nbsp;
It's so important to have time out and trust in the other great people that we have at C&amp;M &ndash; that&rsquo;s a huge lesson learnt. And it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;m planning to do next month on the beach in Mexico!
Future plans
It would have been lovely to buy C&amp;M ten years ago, but I&rsquo;ve <a href="/news/recruiters-views/c-m-is-26-here-s-the-6-events-that-made-us-who-we-are/">learnt so much</a> from being Managing Director and guiding the business through Covid, which was the toughest 18 months in the company's history. The buy-out had to be at the right time for everyone &ndash; and 2024 was that time.&nbsp;
A year on, it&rsquo;s been a true learning curve, and Duncan and I now know so much more about how to run a company - and we're working brilliantly as business partners. This is a new start for us all and we don&rsquo;t want to carry on doing the same things we&rsquo;ve always done, so we have very exciting plans lined up which will hopefully take C&amp;M in a new direction in 2026 &ndash; watch this space!
By <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

The highs, lows and challenges of an eye-opening 12 months

One year on: What I've learnt since buying C&M

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements, candidates and vacancies all rise in Sept</li>
</ul>
Travel recruitment rebounds in September
The number of new <a href="/jobs/">travel job vacancies</a>, placements and candidates all rose last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
This was only the second time this year that all three metrics have risen in the same month. Leading the way was the 49 per cent rise in new travel job vacancies which reached its highest total in seven months. September's figure was the best since <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-vacancies-and-placements-both-jump-in-feb/">February</a>, but was down by 23 per cent from September 2024.
There was also a four per cent monthly rise in <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a>, although the figure dipped by 14 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Similarly, there was a small increase in the number of candidates searching for new travel jobs last month, with a rise of two per cent from August. However, September 2025's total dipped by 13 per cent from September 2024.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After the summer holiday distractions of July and August, September traditionally marks the start of a busier period for travel recruitment &ndash; and that's exactly what we've seen this year. Vacancies, candidates and placements have all risen which is a great indication that we are heading in the right direction for the rest of 2025.&nbsp;
"In particular, the 49 per cent monthly jump in new travel job vacancies is extremely welcome. This big increase means there are a wealth of <a href="/jobs/">fantastic new opportunities</a> currently available, and we are already seeing this result in an increase in new jobseekers searching for roles in the travel industry in October."&nbsp;
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – September 2025

Travel job vacancies jump 49%

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates remain steady</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements and vacancies dip month-on-month</li>
</ul>
Summer holidays hit jobs market
Travel job placements rose year-on-year in August despite late summer holiday distractions, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
There was a five per cent increase in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> compared to <a href="/news/press-releases/busiest-august-for-travel-job-candidates-since-2017/">last August</a>, although the total dipped by 21 per cent from July 2025.
The number of candidates beginning their search for a <a href="/jobs/">new travel job</a> remained steady in August with just a 0.2 per cent drop from July and a five per cent dip from August 2024.
Finally, the traditional fall in new travel vacancies in August materialised again this year, with a 31 per cent monthly decrease from July, as well as an eight per cent ease from last August.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "August is traditionally the second quietest month of the year for the travel jobs market behind only December &ndash; and this year was no exception. With many <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> and decision makers taking their summer holidays during the late summer months, activity in August nearly always drops.
"However, there were bright spots last month, with new candidates holding steady with July, while job placements were up compared to the same month in 2024. All attention now turns to the autumn months which are usually much busier for travel recruitment, with many <a href="/clients/">companies looking to get great travel talent in place</a> ahead of the peaks season."&nbsp;
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – August 2025

Travel job placements rise despite August heat

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel candidates, placements and vacancies all rise</li>
</ul>
Busy month for travel recruitment
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new job vacancies in the travel industry</a> jumped by 39 per cent last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
July's total number of new roles was the highest in four months, despite dipping eight per cent from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-jobs-placements-and-candidates-all-rise-in-july/">July 2024</a>.
There was also a rise in the volume of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> during the month, with July seeing a 26 per cent jump from June. This was the highest total since March and was the third highest figure so far this year. July 2025's figure was also up by seven per cent from the same month last year.
Similarly, there was also an increase in the number of <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a> searching for jobs in the travel industry last month, with a six per cent monthly rise from June. However, last month's total dipped by 15 per cent from last July.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Considering the traditional summer slowdown, July was a very positive month for travel recruitment. We saw job placements, vacancies and new candidates all rising, which is the first time this year that all three metrics have increased in the same month.&nbsp;
"It's also very encouraging to see a rise in job placements compared to the same month last year &ndash; with August looking like it will improve on last year as well. With many candidates and decision makers returning from their summer breaks, these positive figures now put us in a healthy position as we head into the autumn months."&nbsp;
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – July 2025

New travel job vacancies jump 39% in July

&nbsp;
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Wages rise, but at lower level than 2024</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Senior travel pay jumps 7%</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">More candidates now in higher wage brackets</li>
</ul>
Travel wages rise again at start of 2025
The average salary for a <a href="/jobs/">new job in the travel industry</a> increased by 3.1 per cent in the first half of the year, according to the 2025 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the timeframe.
The rise means that the average pay for a <a href="/jobs/">new travel job</a> has reached &pound;38,919 &ndash; an increase of &pound;1,172 since the <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2024-h1-overview/">first half of last year.</a> However, this follows jumps of 12.86 per cent and 12.58 per cent in the first six months of <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2024-h1-overview/">2024</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">2023</a> respectively.
There was a notable 7.39 per cent rise in wages for <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">senior travel roles</a> (those paying &pound;40,000 and above), with a significant increase in the number of <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">new positions paying &pound;60,000 or more</a>. Such roles accounted for 13 per cent of all new jobs in the first half of 2025 compared to only five per cent during the same period of 2024.&nbsp;
However, pay for <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel jobs</a> (those paying below &pound;40,000) saw a small fall of 1.56 per cent &ndash; or &pound;487 &ndash; during the first six months of the year to stand at &pound;30,788, after increases of 6.78 per cent and 5.99 per cent in the first halves of 2024 and 2023 respectively. Despite the dip, the average wage for a standard travel job has risen by 19.04 per cent (or &pound;4,925) in the past five years.
Looking at the <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel sector</a>, salaries dropped by 4.17 per cent (or &pound;1,502) in the first half of 2025 to reach at an average of &pound;34,544, after rising by 12.52 per cent in the first six months of 2024 and by 9.23 per cent in the same months of 2023. However, the beginning of 2025 saw an increase of 12 per cent in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">new business travel jobs</a>.
Activity slips from 2024
There were small falls across all three activity metrics at the start of 2025, with the number of candidates, job openings and job placements all falling by six per cent in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at <a name="_Hlk204163201"></a>C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "<a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2024/">Salaries in the travel industry</a> have now risen consistently for the past four years, which is great to see. Travel has always been an attractive sector to work in, but has historically been underpaid. But with these increases in wages, we are now in a much better position to compete with other industries for the best candidates out there.
"However, the small fall in pay for standard travel job is less welcome news. Wages for these positions need to at least match the rate of inflation or our industry risks missing out on top graduates who could otherwise have a long and fulfilling career within travel.
"It's also disappointing to see the small falls in activity in the first half of the year. While the dips are only in single digits, they follow larger falls in the first half of last year. This is due to a variety of factors including economic pressures, rising employer costs, and a post-pandemic correction in hiring following the recruitment boom between autumn 2021 and summer 2023. We will be keeping a close eye on activity this autumn and winter as we hopefully see levels increase."
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All figures are drawn from the salaries of new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2025 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2025 H1 overview

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small falls in new jobseekers, vacancies and placements</li>
</ul>
Slower month for recruitment
There was a small drop in the number of new candidates searching for <a href="/jobs/">jobs in the travel industry</a> last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment. June saw a seven per cent fall from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-placements-jump-17/">May</a> and a four per cent dip from June 2024.
Similarly, there was a 12 per cent monthly decrease in the availability of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> in June, as well as a 21 per cent fall compared to the same month last year.
Completing the picture, the number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs also fell back in June by 15 per cent from the previous month and by four per cent from June 2024.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "These clearly aren't the kind of figures that we &ndash; and the rest of the travel industry &ndash; would like to see. But the warm weather and the start of the summer season seems to have impacted the recruitment market, with many candidates and decision makers opting to enjoy the sun and delay their hiring plans.&nbsp;
"With school holidays on the way, we are unlikely to see a big increase in activity before September, but this does mean that there are now <a href="/jobs/">real opportunities for candidates to secure great travel positions</a> this summer before competition gets much tougher in the autumn."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – June 2025

Travel jobs market eases as hot weather hits

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Rise in filled job vacancies</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small falls in new roles and candidates</li>
</ul>
Placements rise in May
The number of candidates securing <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> rose in May, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The month saw a 17 per cent rise in placements compared to May, to reach the third highest total of the year so far. However, the figure fell by 18 per cent from the same month in 2024.
There was a small fall in the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs </a>being created in May, with a nine per cent monthly drop. Compared to the same month last year, May's total slipped by 12 per cent.
Similarly, the number of <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> beginning their search for a new travel job last month dipped by six per cent from April. The total was also down by 20 per cent from May 2024.
Speaking about the stats, <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "It&rsquo;s always encouraging to see a rise in new travel job placements &ndash; and a 17 per cent increase from April is a very positive thing. However, we can't ignore the fact that placements, candidates and vacancies are all down compared to the same month last year. While the year-on-year dips aren't huge, we are hoping to see activity pick up as we enter the summer months. Fortunately, the early stats for June are looking healthier with more companies looking to bring new travel talent into their team."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – May 2025

Travel job placements jump 17%

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel candidates jump 16 per cent</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small drop in new vacancies</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements also fall</li>
</ul>
New travel jobseekers edge up
The number of <a href="/candidates/">new travel jobseekers</a> rose in April despite the Easter holiday distractions, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's total increased by 16 per cent from March, and despite being down by one per cent from April 2024, was up by eight per cent from April 2023.
It was a quieter month for new vacancies with an 11 per cent drop from March 2025 and an eight per cent fall from April 2024.
Similarly, the number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> dipped by 38 per cent in April to fall back to its lowest level of the year so far.
Speaking about the stats, <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "There was no doubt that the Easter holidays impacted the travel recruitment market last month &ndash; and with many candidates and decision makers on holiday, it's no huge surprise.
"However, there were still a very positive number of new candidates beginning their travel search with last month seeing the second highest April tally since 2018. Despite the double bank holidays in May, hopefully we will see this increase in new applicants convert into some positive job placement momentum for the rest of spring and into summer."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – April 2025

Travel jobseekers rise despite Easter holidays

&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Travel industry&rsquo;s gender pay gap grows in 2024
&middot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Gap mainly due to wide pay difference at top of industry
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Women awarded 66 per cent of all roles in travel
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But are paid 13.8 per cent less than men on average
Gender pay split
The gender pay gap in the travel industry widened in 2024, according to new research from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The typical female working in travel took home 13.83 per cent less than their male equivalent last year, compared to gaps of <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2023/">11.15 per cent in 2023</a>, <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2022/">11.50 per cent in 2022</a>, <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-s-gender-pay-gap-narrows-in-2021/">6.48 per cent in 2021</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2019/">14.15 per cent in 2019</a>.
This meant that the gender pay gap totalled &pound;5,238 in 2024 (up from &pound;3,678 in 2023), with women earning an average of &pound;35,245 while men received &pound;40,483.
However, the gap can largely be attributed to the wide difference in pay for those earning the <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">highest salaried jobs</a> at the top of the travel industry.
The pay gap for <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999">roles paying up to &pound;29,999</a> stood at 1.06 per cent in 2024 (with men earning &pound;280 more on average than women), while the gap stood at 1.47 per cent for <a href="/jobs/#/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">travel jobs paying between &pound;30,000 and &pound;39,999</a> (with men outearning women by an average of &pound;500).
For those in <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999">travel jobs paying between &pound;40,000 and &pound;59,999</a>, there was a slightly smaller gap of 0.71 per cent with women earning &pound;328 less than male counterparts.
However, the pay gap widened significantly for roles paying &pound;60,000 or more, with men outearning women by 23.81 per cent, with the average man in this pay bracket taking home &pound;83,227 compared to &pound;65,521 for women.
Gender role split
Females continued to be awarded the majority of <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> in 2024 with a total of 66.1 per cent &ndash; slightly down from 68.3 per cent in 2023, 70.7 per cent in 2022 and 68.7 per cent in 2019.
Women took 68.7 per cent of all new travel jobs paying up to &pound;29,999 (compared to 60.0 per cent in 2023 and 81.6 per cent in 2022), while females were awarded 70.0 per cent of all roles paying between &pound;30,000 and &pound;39,999 (compared to 70.7 per cent in 2023 and 76.8 per cent in 2022).
Similarly, the majority of positions paying between &pound;40,000 and &pound;59,999 were also taken by women, with 60.9 per cent in 2024, compared to 75.9 per cent in 2023.
However, for roles paying &pound;60,000 and above, men were awarded the majority of positions, with 61.1 per cent in 2024 &ndash; up from 57.9 per cent in 2023.
Speaking about the findings, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "It's very disappointing to see that the overall gender pay gap in the travel industry widened last year. After narrowing to 6.5 per cent during the Covid-affected year of 2021 and around 11 per cent in both 2022 and 2023, the gap has now grown to 13.8 per cent &ndash; very close to the 14.1 per cent we saw in 2019.
"On the face of it we have made very little progress in combating the gender pay gap over the past five years, which is disheartening to say the least. However, the overall figure doesn't tell the whole story. While these latest stats show that men outearned women across the industry last year, the gaps were relatively small with men receiving between 0.7 per cent and 1.5 per cent more than their female equivalents at most levels.
"While the gender pay gap for the average travel employee could be considered small, this is certainly not the case at the top, which continues to be dominated by men. When looking at <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">roles paying &pound;60,000 and above</a>, the gender pay gap grew in 2024 to reach 23.8 per cent, with men also being awarded a higher percentage of these positions than in the previous year.
"With the gender pay gap increasing for the highest paid in our industry, it's hard to put a positive spin on these figures. While much has been done at the lower levels of travel in terms of pay disparity in recent years, this report should be a reminder that we should not be complacent. The travel industry is a wonderful, inclusive place to work, but we need to do more to ensure that the top of our industry is a reflection of that inclusivity."
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C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M reveals travel's gender pay split - 2024

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements jump 28 per cent annually</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and vacancies both dip in March</li>
</ul>
Strong month for job placements
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> jumped to a five-month high in March to equal the highest total since last April, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
March's figure was up by nine per cent from February 2024 and up by 28 per cent from March 2024. It was also the third highest total in the past two years.
However, there was a fall in the number of new <a href="/candidates/">candidates searching for jobs in the travel industry</a> in March, with figures falling by 19 per cent compared to both the previous month and March 2024.
Similarly, the number of new travel jobs created in March dipped by 24 per cent from February and by 16 per cent from the same month last year.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With another increase in March, job placements in the travel industry have now risen in three of the last four months, which is excellent to see. Perhaps more importantly, placements have only fallen year-on-year once in the past seven months, so we appear to be gaining some momentum as we head into spring.
"Last month's dip in candidates and vacancies is disappointing, but April appears to be a much better month for new job seekers, so hopefully this will convert into further strong placement figures in the months ahead."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – March 2025

Travel job placements hit joint highest level in 11 months

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Job placements up 42 per cent</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Annual rise in new vacancies</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small fall in new candidates</li>
</ul>
Hot start to 2025 continues
There was a huge 42 per cent increase in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
February's total was the highest since <a href="/news/press-releases/6-month-high-for-travel-job-placements/">last October</a> and was the third best figure in the past 18 months. Last month also saw a 13 per cent increase in job placements compared to <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-placements-reach-6-month-high/">February 2024</a>.
There was also a 23 per cent increase in <a href="/jobs/">new job vacancies in the travel industry</a> last month compared to the same month in 2024. This meant that February 2025 recorded the third highest number of new roles in the past year, despite falling by eight per cent from January.
However, the number of <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> beginning their search for a new travel job fell slightly in February with a dip of 14 per cent from January and three per cent compared to February 2024.
Speaking about the stats, <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After big monthly increases in new travel vacancies and candidates in January, it's great to see these begin to be converted into job placements, with a strong rise of 42 per cent in February. In addition, a very healthy number of new roles were created last month, which should hopefully encourage talent to seek out the <a href="/jobs/">fantastic travel jobs currently available</a>.&nbsp;
"As we've said for some time now, what the travel recruitment sector needs is consistency. The last couple of years have been characterised by busy months followed by slower ones without any real momentum. We've now had three positive months in a row, and while it is too early to call this a significant trend, there appear to be many encouraging signs about the health of the market in 2025." 
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – February 2025

Travel vacancies and placements both jump in Feb

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel jobs and candidates both double in Jan</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements remain steady with 2024</li>
</ul>
Hot start to 2025
New <a href="/jobs/">job opportunities in the travel industry</a> have jumped to their highest level in 12 months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The first month of the year saw a 132 per cent rise in new travel jobs from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-placements-jump-20-despite-christmas/">December</a> to reach its highest total since January 2024.
There was also a big increase in the number of <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a> searching for jobs in the travel industry last month. January saw a 99 per cent jump in job seekers from December, and was also up by 12 per cent from January 2024. What&rsquo;s more, last month&rsquo;s figure was the second highest January total for at least 14 years &ndash; behind only January 2023.
Placements remain stable
Finally, the volume of applicants being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> remained at the same pace seen in the first month of 2024. However, January 2025's total dipped by 20 per cent from December.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After an <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-placements-jump-20-despite-christmas/">unusually busy December</a>, it was very pleasing to see the momentum carry into January and create a hot start to 2025. It's clear that lots of travel talent have chosen the new year as the perfect time to re-enter the jobs market, with last month being the second busiest January in a decade for candidate registrations. What&rsquo;s equally important is that there was also a big increase in companies creating new travel job opportunities last month, which rose to their highest level in a year.
"We're already seeing this activity convert into a strong month of placements in February, and while it's far too early to create an accurate forecast for the year ahead, we're hopeful that the positive start will continue throughout 2025."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – January 2025

We&rsquo;ve all heard stories about bad hires and the costs that go hand-in-hand with them (read on for more!). No matter what we do, there&rsquo;ll always be candidates who turn out to not be quite right for their role. But there are ways to minimise our risk &ndash; and there are even ways to discover great travel talent without paying a penny&hellip;
Try Before You Buy
One of the big misconceptions about recruitment is that it costs money right from the start. In fact, it&rsquo;s completely free to look at a selection of C&amp;M&rsquo;s best and most relevant candidates before deciding if they&rsquo;ll be right for your company. You only pay when your chosen candidate starts with you &ndash; and stays in the role.&nbsp;
On top of this (and without blowing our own trumpet) our <a href="/about-us/">200 years of recruitment experience</a> mean we can typically find and identify higher-quality candidates than those visible on LinkedIn and job boards. And you can view them for free.
Recruitment shouldn&rsquo;t be seen as a cost. It&rsquo;s an investment &ndash; in the individual and in your overall team. And with C&amp;M&rsquo;s 94.1% retention rate of all candidates placed in the last five years, there&rsquo;s an extremely good chance that your investment will be a successful one.
Cost Of Getting It Wrong
Recruitment costs can, of course, vary wildly depending on the role, experience and location, but the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) estimate that the average cost per hire in the UK is &pound;6,125 including job adverts, agency fees and recruitment salaries.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s also the cost of lost time. The entire recruitment journey for the UK travel industry takes an average of 57 days - including time spent on drafting <a href="/news/recruitment-tips/c-m-s-job-advert-guide/">job descriptions</a>, reviewing applications, scheduling <a href="/news/recruitment-tips/job-interview-tips-for-clients/">interviews</a>, and finalising the hiring decision. If you choose to do this yourself rather than through a specialist recruiter, every moment spent on recruitment is a moment diverted from focusing on your customers&rsquo; satisfaction and your business's growth.
But the cost of getting it wrong is even greater. According to a survey from the REC, 85 per cent of HR decision-makers admit that their company has made hiring errors. The wrong decision can lead to lost productivity, increased training time, poor customer service and a team that increasingly lacks motivation and unity. So choose your recruits wisely!
Invest In Your Team
Ultimately, the true cost of hiring isn&rsquo;t measured just in finances, time, or quality, but in the success of your overall team. The risk of hiring the wrong person will always exist. But accessing a shortlist of the finest available candidates for free - without any commitments - provides the best and most cost-effective way of minimising your risks and <a href="/news/recruiters-views/how-to-recruit-top-travel-talent-and-retain-your-key-players/">successfully adding great travel talent to your team</a>. At C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, we&rsquo;re dedicated to connecting exceptional talent with leading travel companies &ndash; let us know how we can help you this year.
By <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

How to maximise your chances of a successful hire

The true cost of hiring in the travel industry…and how to find great talent for free

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Average salaries up by 21 per cent since 2022</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Pace of increase slows from 2023</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">28% of travel employees now earn at least &pound;40,000</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Recruitment activity falls</li>
</ul>
Travel wages increase again
Salaries for the average <a href="/jobs/">new job in the travel industry</a> rose by 8.43 per cent in 2024 to reach &pound;37,036, according to the 2024 Travel Salary Index from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the year.
The average increase of &pound;2,880 follows double figure wage growth of <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-overview/">11.56 per cent in 2023</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">11.53 per cent in 2022</a>, with typical travel salaries having risen by 34.92 per cent since 2021.
While standard travel roles (those paying below &pound;40,000) saw annual wage growth of 4.71 per cent in 2024 compared to a 5.14 per cent annual fall in salaries for executive travel roles (those paying &pound;40,000 and above), the percentage of travel employees now entering the upper wage bracket has risen considerably in the past two years.
The proportion of <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> securing roles paying at least &pound;40,000 stood at just 9.1 per cent in 2022, before rising to 17.5 per cent in 2023 and reaching 28.1 per cent last year.
At the lower end of the wage scale, only 26.8 per cent of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs </a>in 2024 came with salaries of less than &pound;30,000, compared to 40.9 per cent in 2023 and 47.6 per cent in 2022.
Recruitment activity slows
The number of new candidates searching for <a href="/jobs/">travel jobs</a> dipped by five per cent last year following rises of eight per cent in 2023 and 26 per cent in 2022.
New travel job placements and vacancies fell back in 2024 by 21 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively. However, both metrics saw a more encouraging second half of the year, with placements down by just six per cent from the second half of 2023 and vacancies down by 18 per cent from the same timeframe.
Finally, the <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel</a> sector saw strong wage growth of 14.32 per cent from 2023 and 22.54 per cent from 2022 to stand at an average of &pound;37,057 in 2024. However, the number of candidates being placed in business travel jobs fell back by 55 per cent.&nbsp;
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director and Co-Owner at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Following big increases in 2022 and 2023, we saw another very significant jump in wages in the travel industry last year. Travel has never offered the best pay, so in order for us to be competitive with other industries, salaries had to rise &ndash; and this news should be welcomed across the sector.
"Last year was a slower one for travel recruitment than we would have hoped, with vacancies and placements both dipping from the previous two years. However, the second half of 2024 had many encouraging signs, suggesting that 2025 could be much busier. With the Peaks season performing well, many travel companies are looking to <a href="/clients/">ramp up their recruitment</a> across the coming months, which will create great opportunities for candidates as well as increased competition to secure the top talent."&nbsp;
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the salaries of the new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director and Co-Owner - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2024 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2024 

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel placements rise 20% from Nov and 30% from Dec 2023</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel candidates rise to highest December total since 2017</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies see monthly fall</li>
</ul>
Hot end to 2024 for travel recruitment
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> rose by 20 per cent in December despite the holiday distractions, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
In what is traditionally the quietest month of the year, this is the first monthly December increase since at least 2011. Last month's total was also up 30 per cent from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-jobs-and-candidates-both-up-in-december/">the same month in 2023</a>.
It was also a positive month for <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a> which rose to their highest December total for eight years. December 2024's total was the highest recorded for the month since December 2017, with an increase of two per cent from last December. However, candidates were down by 34 per cent from November 2024.
Finally, <a href="/jobs/">new travel vacancies </a>dipped by 14 per cent in December from the same month last year, but were up by 25 per cent from December 2022. Compared to November 2024, vacancies fell by 43 per cent.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "It's extremely rare to see a monthly increase in placements in December &ndash; in fact, we haven't seen one in at least 14 years! We also saw an unusually strong number of candidates beginning their job hunt in the final month of last year, which is a great sign as we enter 2025.
"So far, the New Year has got off to a positive start with early indications pointing to a month that is at least on par with last January. We have also heard many travel companies reporting strong sales during the peaks season, so we're hoping to see consistent increases in <a href="/clients/">demand for travel talent</a> through the first few months of the year."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – December 2024

Travel job placements jump 20% despite Christmas

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small annual fall in new travel jobs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and placements also see monthly decreases</li>
</ul>
Slower month for travel recruitment
Travel recruitment activity slowed marginally in November in the run-up to Christmas, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The month saw a small annual fall in the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> being made available with November's total dipping by six per cent from the same month in 2023. Last month's total also slipped by 16 per cent from October.
It was also a quieter month for <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a>, with the number of people searching for jobs in the travel industry falling back by seven per cent from October and by 25 per cent from last November.
Similarly, the volume of applicants being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> fell by seven per cent from last November and by 32 per cent from October 2024.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After very positive signs in October, it was disappointing to see recruitment activity ease in November. It&rsquo;s been an inconsistent year, with multiple signs of momentum followed by slower periods.&nbsp;
"December is traditionally the quietest month of the year, so our attention now turns to January, where we hope to see a strong start to 2025. We are already seeing positive signs for the New Year with many recent placements starting in January, and lots of our clients planning to step-up their recruitment during this timeframe."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Co-Owner and Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – November 2024

Travel recruitment eases in run-up to Christmas

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel placements hit highest level since April</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New vacancies and jobseekers both increase from 2023</li>
</ul>
Big increase in travel job placements
The number of new candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">travel jobs</a> jumped by 32 per cent last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
October 2024 recorded the highest total volume of placements since April and the second highest number since July 2023. Last month's figure was also up by 28 per cent from October 2023.&nbsp;
Recruitment activity rises
There was also a 37 per cent annual jump in the number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> being made available. October's total was the third highest figure of the year, although it was down by three per cent from September.
In addition, last month saw a slight annual increase in the number of new <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> searching for travel jobs with a two per cent rise from October 2023. However, the figure was down by two per cent from September 2024.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "October was a very positive month for travel recruitment with placements rising by a third from September, and more importantly, also up by 28 per cent from last year. In fact, new jobs and candidates also both rose from <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-candidates-and-job-placements-both-up-in-oct/">October 2023</a>, so we saw all three metrics rise year-on-year for only the second time this year.
"This is great momentum that we hope to see replicated through the remainder of 2024. With more jobs being made available, this is a fantastic time for candidates to look at the options now available to them and potentially start 2025 with an exciting new role."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – October 2024

Six-month high for travel job placements

C&amp;M Travel Recruitment has announced that Managing Director and minority shareholder <a href="/team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara (Basia) Kolosinska</a> and Sales Director <a href="/team/duncan-tingle/">Duncan Tingle</a> have completed a management buyout of the leading travel recruitment agency.
The pair have purchased the remaining share capital from former Chairman Angus Chisholm, who founded the company in 1998, meaning they will own 100 per cent of the organisation.
Joining C&amp;M as Recruitment Consultants in 1999 and 2002 respectively, Barbara Kolosinska and Duncan Tingle have worked their way up through the company, and have both spent the vast majority of their careers at C&amp;M. Chisholm will remain with the agency as a Non-Executive Director.
Since forming 26 years ago, C&amp;M has become the UK's most established travel recruitment consultancy, filling more than 20,000 roles in the industry. Working with all sectors, disciplines and levels of the travel industry, C&amp;M's clients, business partners and candidates can continue to expect exceptional service following the buyout.
Speaking about the news, Barbara Kolosinska said: "I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved at C&amp;M. I have worked with Duncan for over 22 years and know what an incredible recruiter and Sales Director he is and can't wait for the journey ahead with our very talented and loyal team. Hard work, commitment and loyalty really do pay off and I hope this shows anyone out there that anything is possible in your careers if you want it enough."
Duncan Tingle commented: "I'm really excited for the future. Having worked with Basia for all this time, her growth and development as a key industry figure makes me proud of what she has done for our business and reputation. We have an amazing working relationship and are both aware of each other's strengths, which with the fantastic team we have in place, will dovetail perfectly to take C&amp;M forward."
Angus Chisholm said: "I am delighted and proud to see C&amp;M Travel Recruitment transition to the capable hands of our experienced and talented management team. It's rewarding to know that the excellent business we have built over many years will continue to thrive under their leadership, and I look forward to supporting the next chapter as a Non-Executive Director. This marks an exciting new phase for C&amp;M, and I am confident we will continue to grow and excel."

Barbara Kolosinska and Duncan Tingle become new Owners

C&M Travel Recruitment announces management buyout

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies rise 80% in September</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements and candidates also up</li>
</ul>
Big rise in new travel jobs
The number of available <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> rose by a huge 80 per cent in September, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
This was the biggest month-on-month increase since January and means that <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> have reached their highest total for six months. In addition, last month's figure was up by 29 per cent from September 2023.
Recruitment market heats up post-summer
Similarly, there was an increase in<a href="/candidates/"> candidates</a> beginning their search for <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a>, with September's total rising by 12 per cent from August. The number was also up by 29 per cent from the same month last year and was the highest total for the month of September since 2017.
Completing the positive picture, September saw a 27 per cent monthly increase in new job placements, with the number of candidates being placed in new jobs in the travel industry reaching its highest level since May.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "While it's great that new placements, vacancies and candidates all rose month-on-month in September, it's even better to see that vacancies and candidates also increased from the same month in 2023 &ndash; with placements holding steady too.
"This is a really positive sign as we head into the fourth quarter of the year, with many candidates and decision makers leaving their summer distractions behind and focusing again on new jobs and <a href="/clients/">new talent</a>.
"However, we can't get ahead of ourselves &ndash; the summer was quiet for the travel recruitment market, but hopefully we can build on the momentum from September and see more increases in activity over the next few months."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – September 2024

New travel job vacancies hit 6-month high

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New candidates rise year-on-year</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel vacancies and placements dip</li>
</ul>
Candidates increase annually
The number of new candidates searching for <a href="/jobs/">travel jobs</a> rose year-on-year in August despite the late summer holiday distractions, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Jobseeker numbers increased by 19 per cent last month compared to <a href="/news/press-releases/busiest-august-for-new-travel-jobs-in-6-years/">August 2023</a> to reach the highest total for the month of August since 2017. However, there was a monthly fall of 11 per cent from July 2024.
Slower month for vacancies
Traditionally the second slowest month of the year for travel recruitment behind only December, August 2024 saw a fall in new travel job vacancies which dipped by 32 per cent in August. Similarly, the number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs fell by 19 per cent from July and by 29 per cent from last August.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With many people jetting away to enjoy the end of the summer holidays, August is always one of the quietest months of the year for the travel recruitment market &ndash; and 2024 was no exception. But there were bright spots to be found, including the highest number of new <a href="/candidates/">active jobseekers</a> that we've seen in an August for seven years.
"With decision makers and potential job seekers now back from holidays and into their normal routines, we're hopeful of a busier few months &ndash; and with August showing strong numbers of applicants, there are certainly many active candidates out there waiting to be snapped up by the right role and company."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – August 2024

Busiest August for travel job candidates since 2017

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies reach four-month high</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel candidates jump 19 per cent in July</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements also increase but remain down on 2023</li>
</ul>
Positive month for travel recruitment
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a>, candidates and placements all increased last month for the first time since January, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
New job vacancies in the travel industry rose by 12 per cent in July to reach their highest point since March, despite July traditionally being a quiet month for the sector.
In other encouraging news, the number of <a href="/candidates/">candidates searching for a new job in the travel industry</a> rose by 19 per cent last month and by nine per cent from July 2023. The month also saw the second highest number of new candidates for the month of July since 2017.
Completing the trio, there was also a 13 per cent monthly rise in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a>. However, volumes remain down on last year, with a 36 per cent fall from the same month in 2023.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With so many candidates and decision-makers away on holiday, July is typically one of the quieter months of the year for travel recruitment, so it's extremely welcome that new jobs, candidates and placements all rose from June. In particular, to see the number of new jobs jump to a four-month high in the month of July is extremely rare and something that hasn&rsquo;t happened for at least a decade.
"However, we do need to acknowledge that overall volumes are still <a href="/news/press-releases/big-rise-in-new-travel-vacancies-in-july/">down from last year</a> and compared to the typical volumes that we've seen in previous Julys. But we're hopeful that July 2024's very encouraging figures will continue to gain momentum through the end of summer and into autumn."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – July 2024

Travel jobs, placements and candidates all rise in July

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Overall salaries continue to rise in travel industry</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">But complex picture emerges</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Recruitment activity dips</li>
</ul>
Another big rise for travel wages
The average salary for a <a href="/jobs/">new job in the travel industry</a> jumped by 12.86 per cent in the first half of the year, according to the 2024 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the timeframe.
The increase means that the average wage for a <a href="/jobs/">new travel job</a> stands at &pound;37,747 and has risen by &pound;4,302 since the <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">first half of 2023</a>. The increase follows a similar rise of 12.58 per cent in the first six months of last year.
However, when breaking down the data, a more complex picture emerges. Much of the increase appears to be due to the large number of roles with salaries between &pound;40,000 and &pound;55,000 which skewed the overall figure upwards.
Despite this, the lack of new roles above &pound;60,000 caused the average <a href="/jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">senior travel salary </a>(those paying &pound;40,000 and above) to drop. With a figure of &pound;53,925, senior wages fell by 8.19 per cent at the start of 2024 following a 17.03 per cent hike in the same months last year.
At the other end of the scale, pay for <a href="/jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel jobs</a> (those paying below &pound;40,000) rose by 6.78 per cent to stand at &pound;31,275. This is a rise of &pound;1,985 from the start of last year and follows an increase of 5.99 per cent in the first half of 2023.
In the business travel sector, salaries rose by 12.52 per cent (or &pound;4,012) in the first half of 2024 to reach &pound;36,046 following an increase of 9.23 per cent in the same months of last year. However, the <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel jobs </a>market has slowed considerably at the start of 2024 with a 61 per cent reduction in the number of candidates being placed in new corporate travel roles.
Activity falls from 2023
After the hot start to the early months of 2023, travel recruitment activity dipped in the first half of 2024. The number of <a href="/candidates/">new candidates</a> fell by 11 per cent compared to the same months in 2023, while new vacancies decreased by 34 per cent and the amount of new travel jobs being filled fell back by 32 per cent.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "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. 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 &pound;40,000 to &pound;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.
"The year has also seen an overall dip in recruitment activity in the travel industry due to a combination of factors. 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&rsquo;re hopeful that this will inspire confidence and prompt many travel companies to broaden their recruitment plans."
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All figures are drawn from the salaries of new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2024 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2024 H1 overview

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies see small monthly dip</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and placements also fall back</li>
</ul>
Slight fall in new jobs
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> being made available fell slightly at the start of summer, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The total fell by a small two per cent from May 2024 and by 26 per cent from last June.
Similarly, the number of new <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> searching for new jobs in the travel industry fell back by 22 per cent last month after reaching a 2024-high in May. June's number was also down by 11 per cent from the same month in 2023.
There was also a decrease in the number of people being placed in new travel jobs, with a 27 per cent monthly fall and a 35 per cent dip from June 2023.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Summer is always a slow period for travel recruitment with many potential jobseekers and decision makers away on holiday. And with the Euros, Wimbledon and the Olympics offering even more distractions, this summer was never likely to break any records for jobs activity.
"But of course not everyone is away on holiday, so this creates a great opportunity for travel companies to snap up experienced talent while their competitors temporarily delay their recruitment plans.
"The run-up to a general election also always quietens the<a href="/jobs/"> jobs</a> market. Now that the votes are in and we have a new government in place, we envisage that things may pick-up as we enter the peak of summer."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – June 2024

Travel recruitment cools in June as summer hits

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New candidates reach highest point since November</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements and vacancies both see monthly dips</li>
</ul>
Busy May for candidates
May saw more new <a href="/candidates/">candidates searching for travel jobs</a> than at any point since last November, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's total was the highest in six months with a 17 per cent rise from April and a two per cent increase from May 2023.
Mixed month for new job placements
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel job</a> placements dipped back by 15 per cent in May, but still recorded the second highest total in the past 10 months. Compared to the same month last year, May's total was down by eight per cent.
There was also a five per cent fall in the number of new <a href="/jobs/">travel job vacancies</a> last month, with May's total dipping to its lowest level so far this year. The figure was down by 55 per cent from the same month in 2023.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "The travel industry has been short of quality candidates for some time now, so it's great to see that new <a href="/candidates/">jobseeker</a> numbers have risen to their highest level of the year so far.&nbsp;
"But with new candidates falling in April then rising in May, while new job placements increased in April but dipped last month, once again we're seeing inconsistency in the travel recruitment market with no clear trajectory. As we enter the holiday season and the added distractions of the Euros, we're unlikely to see a big increase in overall activity but this could create opportunities for companies to snap up quality candidates searching for new travel roles over the quieter summer months."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – May 2024

New travel jobseekers hit 2024-high

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Job placements reach highest point since July 2023</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small monthly fall in new candidates</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies rise from 2023</li>
</ul>
Rise in job placements
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> jumped by 34 per cent last month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.&nbsp;
April's total was the highest for nine months (since July 2023) and was also <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-job-activity-falls-back-in-april/">up by 15 per cent from April 2023</a>. This was the first year-on-year increase for travel placements since January 2023.
Mixed month for candidates and vacancies
There was a small fall in new <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> during the month, with the number of new jobseekers dipping by six per cent from March. However, the total was up by nine per cent from the level seen in April 2023, up by 20 per cent from April 2022 and up by 18 per cent from April 2019.
The month also saw a dip in new <a href="/jobs/">travel job vacancies</a> with a 19 per cent decrease from March. Despite this, April 2024's total was up by nine per cent from the same month last year.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Any month when job placements rise by a third has to be considered a very positive few weeks. Placements are still down compared to the pre-pandemic, but they rose from last April which is a fantastically bright sign as we head into the early summer.
"It's also still a mixed picture for both new candidates and vacancies which rise one month and then dip the next. New travel roles are being made available each and every day, but what we really need is consistency over the next few months."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – April 2024

Travel job placements hit 9-month high

From the return to the office and salary fluctuations to apprenticeship schemes, there's a lot&rsquo;s going on in business travel right now. Here's the thoughts of C&amp;M's <a href="https://candm.co.uk/team/duncan-tingle/">Duncan Tingle</a> (southern UK) and <a href="https://candm.co.uk/team/rachel-elmore/">Rachel Elmore </a>(northern UK).
Jobs market is heating up
The good news: the <a href="https://candm.co.uk/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel jobs</a> market has been getting busier and busier since early spring, but it was a very quiet start to the year.
It&rsquo;s still not as busy as the last couple of years, but there seems to be a couple of reasons for that &ndash; firstly, some of the larger companies recruited very heavily to get back on track after Covid and don&rsquo;t need new people urgently, and also a lot of companies still aren&rsquo;t travelling for meetings. However, we&rsquo;ve seen this before &ndash; and business travel always bounces back. People know the benefits of meeting face-to-face rather than through a laptop. I have no doubt that things will continue to recover.
The return to the office
The big issue so far this year is the pull from many BT companies to try and get people back into hybrid roles &ndash; and while some are paying very good <a href="https://candm.co.uk/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-overview/">salaries</a>, there is just not the appetite from candidates to return to the office.
This is far and away, the biggest barrier to filling <a href="https://candm.co.uk/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel jobs</a> at the moment. If you take that hurdle away, the pool of available talent increases exponentially.
Many candidates working in the sector moved into homebased roles during the pandemic when there was a real shortage of talent, and they were paid relatively well to do so. So it is now really hard to tempt them to come back into a big city when they&rsquo;re already earning a decent salary working at home.&nbsp;
For example, if a company offered an attractive salary for a city-based Sabre role, their pool of available candidates would be very small, but if they were to offer &pound;3,000 or &pound;4,000 less for the same position at home, then they&rsquo;d immediately have a really good selection of talent to choose from. People aren&rsquo;t stupid &ndash; they&rsquo;ve realised that once you factor in transport costs, that extra few thousand pounds a year doesn&rsquo;t equal a great deal.&nbsp;
Insisting on only one day per week in the office (rather than two or three) would help a bit, but realistically you&rsquo;re still only going to attract candidates from about 30 miles away.
There is absolutely no doubt that companies will get a bigger talent pool if they offer complete homeworking. And while we do occasionally have a candidate who wants to be in the office full-time, they&rsquo;re very, very much the exception!
Candidates have the power
Companies offering fully-remote roles with the right money will find there's some really good candidates out there at the moment.
It&rsquo;s completely understandable that companies with big offices in cities would want all their seats to be full. But they can&rsquo;t ignore the fact that the vast majority of candidates simply aren&rsquo;t currently looking for office-based roles. If companies insist on having candidates return to the office, then they need to <a href="https://candm.co.uk/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-overview/">increase salaries further</a>, have an excellent reputation and offer other clear benefits such as great career progression opportunities.&nbsp;
Many business travel companies had to increase their salaries following Covid to attract new candidates, but salaries haven&rsquo;t kept rising. Wages have plateaued recently &ndash; and some BT companies need to look again at what they&rsquo;re offering.
Northern v Southern salaries
We&rsquo;ve also found variations in wages across the sector, where some are happy to pay good salaries for remote candidates regardless of where they're based in the UK, but most still have a north-south salary divide.
When everyone was working at home just after Covid, wages increased and there was much less of a gap, but we&rsquo;re now seeing a return to regionalised salaries &ndash; even for remote roles.&nbsp;
Lots of our Northern candidates see upper salary brackets on job adverts and then &ndash; understandably &ndash; have questions about why that wage isn't available to them. This is always a difficult conversation because it&rsquo;s very hard to justify why someone in one part of the country should be paid considerably more than a similarly experienced candidate performing the exact same role in a different location.
With these lower salaries on offer, some quality candidates in the north have far less incentive to consider new roles &ndash; and this just means that companies are reducing their available talent pool even further.
Bright spots
One area of business travel that&rsquo;s really growing at the moment is production and music touring jobs, which involve film sets and music tours.&nbsp;
Demand for these roles is now higher than at any point in the last few years - and candidates with this kind of background are much sought after. We have companies offering very, very attractive salaries for remote candidates. These wages have certainly risen recently, but companies realised they had to offer more to tempt this niche pool of talent away from their previous roles.
We&rsquo;ve also seen increased demand for other areas of business travel so far this year too, such as groups, corporate sports tours, and marine, oil and gas roles.
The next generation
In previous years, it was relatively commonplace for candidates to move across from leisure to corporate travel, but we&rsquo;re seeing this less and less now. <a href="https://candm.co.uk/jobs/#/leisure-travel-consultant-reservations">Travel Consultants</a> used to routinely work weekends, so they would want to move across to business travel where they could work weekdays and earn considerably more.
But more leisure travel roles are now Monday to Friday and these wages have increased significantly &ndash; in some cases, the best leisure specialists are now earning more than a business travel company would pay. That&rsquo;s a real change because there is now far less incentive to move sectors.
What&rsquo;s much more positive for business travel is that some corporate companies have now started their own apprenticeship schemes, where they each bring in five or ten people and train them up. Offering these training schemes may not be a realistic option for smaller companies, but for those that have the resources, extra apprenticeship schemes are great news for the travel industry as a whole. This is an exciting start, but we need more of these schemes being introduced throughout the sector to help with the talent pipeline in future years.
By <a href="https://candm.co.uk/team/duncan-tingle/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Duncan Tingle</a> (Sales Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment) and <a href="https://candm.co.uk/team/rachel-elmore/" data-test-app-aware-link="">Rachel Elmore</a> (Team Leader at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment)

With so much going on in business travel right now, here's our thoughts for the year ahead

Business travel recruitment in 2024 – the successes...and the challenges

<ul>
<li>Travel industry&rsquo;s gender pay gap narrows slightly in 2023</li>
<li>But huge salary gulf emerges for executive jobs</li>
<li>Women awarded 68 per cent of all roles in travel</li>
<li>But are paid 11.1 per cent less than men on average</li>
</ul>
Gender pay split
The gender pay gap in the travel industry marginally narrowed in 2023, according to new research from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The typical female working in travel took home 11.15 per cent less than their male equivalent last year, compared to a <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2022/">gap of 11.50 per cent in 2022</a>, <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-s-gender-pay-gap-narrows-in-2021/">6.48 per cent in 2021</a> and <a href="/news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2019/">14.15 per cent in 2019</a>.
This resulted in a gender pay gap of &pound;3,678 in 2023, with women earning an average of &pound;32,989 while men received &pound;36,667.
However, this overall gap can almost solely be attributed to the stark difference in pay for those in the <a href="/jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">highest salaried jobs</a>.
The pay gap for executive roles (those paying &pound;40,000 and above) widened considerably from 14.21 per cent in 2022 to 38.45 per cent in 2023, with the majority of positions with the very highest salaries being awarded to men.
Below this, salary gaps were much less significant, with the average female working in a senior role (those paying between &pound;30,000 and &pound;39,999) taking home &pound;288 (or 0.86 per cent) less than males.
For those in mid-level positions (those paying between &pound;22,001 and &pound;29,999), women earned &pound;163 (or 0.62 per cent) more than men, while for entry-level roles (those paying up to &pound;22,000), men earned 0.27 per cent (or &pound;57) more than comparable women.
Gender role split
Overall, females continued to be awarded the majority of <a href="/jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> with a total of 68.3 per cent &ndash; slightly down from 70.7 per cent in 2022, 68.7 per cent in 2019 and 68.6 per cent in 2018.
In terms of entry-level roles, females took 60.0 per cent (compared to 81.6 per cent in 2022 and 70.8 per cent in 2019), while women were awarded 70.7 per cent of all mid-level positions (down from 76.8 per cent in 2022 and 72.9 per cent in 2019).
It was a similar picture for senior travel jobs, with females taking 67.6 per cent of all roles in 2023, compared to 66.0 per cent in 2022 and 69.9 per cent in 2019.
Interestingly, the percentage split for executive roles was at its widest since C&amp;M's surveys began in 2014. Females took 67.1 per cent of all such roles in 2023 &ndash; up from 55.0 per cent in 2022, 53.2 per cent in 2019 and just 38.1 per cent in 2018.
However, there was a very different result when looking at the very highest-salaried roles, with men being awarded 57.9 per cent of all &pound;60,000+ positions (compared to 50.0 per cent in 2022 and 68.8 per cent in 2019) and 62.5 per cent of all <a href="/jobs/#/70-000-and-above">roles with salaries of &pound;75,000 and above</a>.
Speaking about the findings, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "These stats always make for interesting reading, and this year they've highlighted two very contrasting points.&nbsp;
"The positive news is that for the majority of positions in the travel industry, the gender pay gap has been eliminated &ndash; which is something to be celebrated. For those seeking an entry-level, mid-level or senior role in the travel industry, candidates can expect to receive the same <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-overview/">salary</a> as their counterparts, regardless of their gender.
"However, that is not the case when we look at the top of the industry. It's encouraging to see that more women are being placed in &pound;40,000+ roles than just a few years ago, but men are still routinely earning more than females in these positions. And things get even more pronounced when we look at the highest salaried jobs in travel, with men being awarded the majority of these roles and earning far more than their equivalents.
"The travel industry has come a long way in recent years in terms of pay disparity, but these stats should be a stark reminder that much more needs to be done to target, support and promote women into some of the most senior roles in our sector."&nbsp;
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C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M reveals travel's gender pay split - 2023

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel job vacancies up 11% </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Job placements reach second highest point in 7 months</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel candidates rise from pre-pandemic</li>
</ul>
Positive month for new roles
The number of <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> rose by 11 per cent in March to reach its second highest level in seven months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment. Despite this, March's total was down by 32 per cent from the <a href="/news/press-releases/new-travel-job-seekers-hit-5-year-high/">same month in 2023</a>, which experienced a strong start to the year.
It was also a positive month for placements, with the number of <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> being placed in new travel jobs reaching its second highest total since last August. However, March saw a small fall of three per cent from February.&nbsp;
New candidates up from 2019
There was a small dip in the number of new candidates <a href="/jobs/">searching for travel jobs</a> in March, with the month registering a two per cent fall. However, this remained up by 25 per cent from the pre-pandemic month of March 2019 and was the second highest March total in the past six years.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Activity levels are still lower than we would ideally like to see them and remain down compared to the pre-pandemic period, but there were many positives to take from last month. Job vacancies and placements both reached their second highest levels since last summer, while the number of new candidate registrations also remained historically high for March.
"We now need some consistency. Easter is likely to affect April's numbers, but once that's out of the way we will hopefully see month-on-month increases across all of these metrics as we build towards the summer months."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – March 2024

New travel jobs on the rise in March

26 years. How do you compress more than a quarter of a century into one blog? Well, C&amp;M have reached our huge 26th birthday (the one everyone celebrates, right?) and we thought we'd celebrate by highlighting the six things that have really made us who we are today. So&hellip;where to start?
It's all about the team
Ok, we&rsquo;ll start with the obvious. It's a clich&eacute; but it's true &ndash; we're nothing without <a href="/about-us/">our team</a>. Like all companies we've made mistakes along the way (we'll come on to that very shortly), but our staff here at C&amp;M are fantastic and we couldn't possibly write this article without thanking them. Our retention rate of staff is excellent, with many having been here for more than 10, 15 or 20 years &ndash; and some have even gone on to successfully start their own recruitment businesses as well as securing very senior roles within the industry too.
Most of our staff actually applied as candidates looking for travel jobs, so we explained the benefits of working in travel recruitment and (thankfully!) many of them started a hugely rewarding new career path.
Trying to get too big too soon
But like so many companies, our egos probably got the better of us.
We were up to 50 staff at our largest point, and we had five offices in London, Manchester, Surrey, Brighton and Birmingham. Our temps market was very big in the early days too with over 200 temps working for us.
Opening these offices came at a huge, huge cost. And in hindsight, our egos and growth plans got in the way of thinking about what was actually fundamental in running a business. Because we were quite new to it, we didn't realise the full cost of keeping all of these offices. Also, we took on too many staff &ndash; and we held on to some of them for too long simply because we wanted the right number of bums on seats!
As well as opening new offices, we looked at expanding into new divisions related to travel. Some have been very successful, such as Evolve Hospitality, which started as a division of C&amp;M before becoming a thriving hospitality and events recruitment business in its own entity. But many of our other expansion plans didn&rsquo;t go quite as well!
You have to try these things and you have to take risks, but we were too happy to take the big risks. That's a lesson learned. Don't grow too quickly just because you think it is the right thing to do. Big isn't always best. We were na&iuml;ve, but God we had some fun along the way.
Celebrating in style
We believe massively in looking after our staff and we have a very good benefits programme, but we also love to do incentives. We've been to the F1 at Silverstone, tennis at the O2, horse racing at Ascot, white water rafting and too many posh restaurants to mention. And we also really enjoy taking part in charity events together &ndash; including Tough Mudders, triathlons, London to Brighton cycling races, a 100-mile nighttime bike ride for Rubens Retreat&hellip;and even an ultra-marathon for Issy's Silver Linings!
But nothing beats an overseas incentive trip with the whole team. We've been to all sorts of destinations from Palma and Marbella to Iceland and skiing in the Alps, but it's hard to think of a better one than last year's trip to Marrakech, which was outstanding.
The pandemic was hugely challenging in terms of staffing and ensuring we survived (before we could even think of thriving again) - so to get the whole team together in Marrakech and celebrate what we'd all been through was truly special. The early morning hot air balloon ride over the Atlas Mountains is something none of us will ever forget.
Global events
Talking of the pandemic, it would be impossible to recite the big events of the last 26 years without mentioning Covid, 9/11 and the recession of 2008/09.
When 9/11 happened, we were sitting in our office in the Barbican, all the phones stopped ringing, and we all just thought what the hell has happened? So everyone gathered around my computer and we watched it play out before our eyes. We just didn't know what would be around the corner. From a business point of view, it led to many retractions of offers, and candidates accepting roles and then having their job offers withdrawn. But after two months, thankfully it picked up quickly.
Of course, the biggest challenge that we've ever faced as a business was the pandemic. We've written about this before, but let's just say it took a huge amount of effort to keep C&amp;M going, and there were many, MANY points where we thought we wouldn't make it. We scaled back, cut down on our overheads, got rid of our offices and somehow we got through it with hard work, quick business decisions and managing the cash.
We had to make redundancies after all of these events. As a business owner, that is something that's very difficult to do. When you have good people in the business and you're forced to make them redundant, it's a really difficult decision to make. But it has to be made and it has to be made quickly in order to save the business. Luckily on all three occasions, we managed to bring some of these employees back, which we're very proud of.
Our first big night out
In terms of highlights, one of the initial things that comes to mind is the first award we ever won. It was at the Travel Bulletin Awards where we were named Best Recruitment Consultancy &ndash; and it was a hell of a night! That was in the early days, when we'd only existed for a few years. It was our first ever nomination, so we hired a table, took some clients with us (who also won!) and we were all dressed in our black tie finest. I've got great memories of it and it was an amazing feeling - we were all so proud.
Winning our first ever award made it such a memorable night and then it all rocketed from there and we ended up winning awards at TTG, Travel Weekly, TravelMole, The British Travel Awards, Sunday Times' Best Businesses to Work For and others. A really personal one for me was the AWTE 2021 Business Impact Award, which was a true honour.
Filing cabinets and roller indexes
Looking back, it's crazy to think how much has changed since we started. Some of the main <a href="/jobs/">travel roles that we recruit for</a> now, didn't even exist back in 1998! Yes, lots of those old positions are still around &ndash; <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">Business Travel Consultants</a>, <a href="/jobs/#/leisure-travel-consultant-reservations">Reservations Agents</a> etc &ndash; but there are so many other vital travel role these days, and that's mainly because technology has advanced. There is now many more ecommerce and <a href="/jobs/#/marketing-pr">digital roles</a>, and specific online skillsets that are now required by lots of companies.
And the emergence of job boards and other technologies means the way we recruit has changed hugely too. Back when I started, we were on the phone 80 per cent of the time. I remember we used to work with filing cabinets and roller indexes with CVs in them - and then we used to fax CVs to clients!&nbsp;
Things have changed a lot in 26 years. We've had marriages and babies from C&amp;M staff &ndash; and we've made friends for life, even with the people who have left us and moved on.
Here's to the next 26.
By Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

We've reached our 26th birthday and we're celebrating by highlighting the six things that made us who we are today

C&M is 26! Here's the 6 events that made us who we are

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements hit highest point since last summer</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Second best February for candidates since 2017</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies fall from Jan</li>
</ul>
Placements rise again
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs</a> has jumped to its highest point in six months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
February 2024 saw a 25 per cent monthly increase in new appointments, to reach the best total since August 2023. However, last month&rsquo;s total was down by 30 per cent from last February.
It was also a strong month for <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a>, with February 2024 recording the second highest February total in the past seven years. The number of new job seekers was just 16 per cent behind the very busy month of February 2023, and was level with <a href="/news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-double-in-january/">January 2024</a> despite it being a shorter month.
Vacancies see monthly dip
It was a less impressive month for <a href="/jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> which fell by 29 per cent from January and by 33 per cent compared to last February. Despite this, February 2024 posted the third highest total number of new vacancies in the past six months.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With job placements rising to their highest level in half a year, February was undoubtedly a positive month. We also saw a strong number of candidates beginning their search for a new job in travel.
"But for this momentum to continue, we need to see consistent increases in the number of new travel jobs being made available, and unfortunately that wasn't the case in February. There remains lots of great new opportunities out there for the right candidates, but we'll be watching closely to see how busy the market gets in the coming months."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – February 2024

Travel job placements reach 6-month high

Predicting the future is a risky game &ndash; will travel be busier than ever or will economic and global worries slow everything down? We don't know. Frankly, no-one does.
In our years of recruiting for temps at C&amp;M, we've seen a lot. So here's our tips on why temporary hires could prove to be an invaluable addition to your business during this uncertain year.
It's all about the flexibility
One of the key advantages of <a href="/clients/">hiring temporary staff </a>is, of course, the flexibility they offer. Whether it's to cover peak seasons, special events, staff shortages or simply the unforeseen, temp employees can be brought in as and when needed. This flexibility allows businesses to scale their workforce up or down based on demand, without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time employees.
What's more, taking on temp staff can be a far quicker process than recruiting permanent employees. Temp recruitment agencies can provide a pool of pre-screened <a href="/candidates/">candidates</a> who are ready to start work immediately &ndash; and allow companies to carry on doing what they're good at without any disruption.
Everyone's on holiday all at once
All companies do their best to manage the strains of annual leave, but there are always certain times of the year when many people are away on holiday - particularly around the summer and Easter months. Research suggests nearly half of all staff will be on annual leave at the same time over these periods &ndash; just imagine the impact that has on the remaining workers!
Aside from the office feeling empty, this can cause huge pressures on team members with increased workloads&hellip;and increased stress levels. Taking on a few temps during the busiest holiday periods is an easy way to keep permanent staff morale high while also keeping customers happy.
But it's not just about short-term cover
A big misconception is that 'temp' means a short-term placement lasting a few weeks, but we've placed many great candidates in temporary travel roles lasting multiple months &ndash; and sometimes years. They're a great option to cover employees on maternity leave, those on long-term sick or when you have an unexpected increase in business.
No recruitment budget? No problem
Many travel companies are looking to take on permanent staff at the moment. 
But for those who have exhausted their recruitment budget (or simply don't have a budget at all), hiring temporary employees can be a cost-efficient and extremely effective way to fill any staffing gaps. Temps are typically experienced, well-trained and adept at jumping into a new role with minimal preparation, so this is a great way to cut down on costly onboarding processes.
Try before you buy
The other fantastic perk of taking on temp staff is that you can effectively use it as a trial period for both you and the employee. While they're helping you cover the workload, you can evaluate their performance and skills, and decide whether they're the right fit for your company &ndash; and many temporary roles end up going permanent for this very reason.
At C&amp;M we recruit for all temp roles within the travel industry including <a href="/jobs/#/leisure-travel-consultant-reservations">travel consultants,</a> <a href="/jobs/#/finance">finance</a>, <a href="/jobs/#/administration">admin</a>, <a href="/jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">BTCs</a>, reception cover, operations, <a href="/jobs/#/business-development-sales">business development</a> and <a href="/jobs/#/marketing-pr">marketing</a>, so we're your one-stop recruitment shop!
We have access to many fantastic qualified and experienced candidates looking for short or long-term temporary travel positions, so if you need a few extra pairs of hands then we can help.

Need cover for peak seasons or busy holiday periods? Want to try before you buy? Taking on temp employees could be your best decisions this year

Why 2024 could be the year of the travel temp

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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Highest travel jobs total since August</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Big rise in candidate numbers</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Job placements see small monthly increase</li>
</ul>
Big jump in new travel job opportunities
New <a href="/jobs/">job vacancies in the travel industry</a> more than doubled in the first month of 2024, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
January 2024 saw a <a href="/news/press-releases/travel-jobs-and-candidates-both-up-in-december/">111 per cent rise in new travel jobs compared to December 2023</a> and reached the highest total for five months. However, last month's total remained down by 38 per cent from the same month in 2023, which saw a very strong start to the year.
The volume of candidates searching for <a href="/jobs/">new travel jobs </a>saw a big jump in January with an 81 per cent rise from December. Last month's total was down by 14 per cent from January 2023, but was up by 15 per cent from January 2022 and down by just two per cent from the pre-pandemic month of January 2020.
Placements also rise
It was a slower month for placements with the number of people being placed in new travel jobs increasing by four per cent from December. Compared to previous years, last month was 56 per cent below the level seen in January 2023 and down by 41 per cent from both January 2022 and January 2020.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "We would always expect to see a big monthly increase in activity each January &ndash; and last month we saw just that. New travel job opportunities more than doubled in the month - which is <a href="/candidates/">great news for job seekers</a> - and there was also a big 81 per cent rise in new candidates, which will be very much welcomed by employers.
"What we need to see now is a rise in job placements. Some companies are still taking too long to make decisions and are missing out on quality applicants, while others are severely limiting the available talent pool by not widening their recruitment requirements. Hopefully we will see this change throughout 2024."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – January 2024

New travel job vacancies double in January

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Average salaries up by 21 per cent since pre-pandemic</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Wages rising far quicker for those at top of industry</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small movement for lower-paid roles</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates rise, but vacancies and placements fall</li>
</ul>
Another record year for travel pay
Salaries for the average <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new job in the travel industry rose</a> by 11.56 per cent in 2023 to reach &pound;34,156, according to the 2023 Travel Salary Index from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the year.
The big increase in wages follows a similar <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">11.53 per cent jump in 2022</a>, with salaries having risen by an average of 21.14 per cent since the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
However, the size of wage increases was not consistent across the industry with much of the overall rise being caused by an increase in placements for those earning the most.
Wages for <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">executive travel roles</a> (those paying &pound;40,000 and above) rose by 6.50 per cent (or &pound;3,364) to reach an average of &pound;55,085, while those in new <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/60-000-69-999/70-000-and-above">travel jobs with salaries of &pound;60,000</a> or above saw their wages increase by an average of 11.06 per cent (or &pound;8,355) in 2023.
For <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/18-000-25-999/26-000-34-999/35-000-39-999">standard travel roles</a> (those paying below &pound;40,000), pay rose by 4.23 per cent in 2023 to &pound;29,701 and has risen by 19.08 per cent since 2019. But for mid-level travel jobs (those paying between &pound;22,001 and &pound;29,999), wages increased by just 0.92 per cent last year and by only 4.56 per cent (or &pound;1,155) since 2019 &ndash; far below the rate of inflation.
Recruitment eases after bumper 2022
The number of new candidates searching for travel jobs rose by eight per cent last year following a 26 per cent increase in 2022. Last year's total number of <a href="../../../../../candidates/">new job seekers</a> was the highest since 2018, but still remains 15 per cent behind the record year of 2017.
After record-setting figures in 2022, last year was a less impressive one for both vacancies and placements, with vacancies dipping by 30 per cent from the previous year and placements falling back by 50 per cent from 2022.
It was also a slower year for the business travel sector, with placements dipping by 66 per cent from 2022's record-breaking year, but down by just six per cent from 2019. However, salaries for the average new <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/business-travel-consultant-team-leader-manager">business travel job</a> rose by 7.28 per cent (or &pound;2,201) in 2023 to stand at &pound;32,414, and have risen by 20.07 per cent (or &pound;5,418) since 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Salaries in the travel industry have been too low for too long. And with the headline figure of an 11.6 per cent rise in 2023 following an 11.5 per cent rise in 2022, you could easily think that we're well on our way to fixing this problem and that wages are rising for everyone in travel. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as that.&nbsp;
"Those at the very top of our industry are indeed seeing these big increases in pay, but it isn't filtering down to the lower levels. For many people working in travel &ndash; particularly those earning less than &pound;30,000 &ndash; salaries barely increased at all last year and have in fact fallen compared to the rate of inflation.
"There's a still a real talent shortage at the moment and we're simply not going to attract quality candidates into the travel industry if we continue with these very uncompetitive packages. There are some fantastic roles out there with many offering attractive salaries, but if we want to successfully add talented people to our teams, we need to make a real effort in 2024 to collectively increase wages for lower-level travel positions."
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All figures are drawn from the salaries of the new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2023 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2023 overview

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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates reach highest December total since 2017</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies also rise from last year</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Dip in travel placements</li>
</ul>
Positive month for travel jobseekers
The number of new <a href="../../../../../candidates/">candidates searching for travel jobs</a> across the UK <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-recruitment-eases-in-run-up-to-christmas/">rose by 22 per cent from last December</a> to reach the highest December total since 2017, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's total was up by 31 per cent from December 2019 and up by 20 per cent from December 2018, but down by 16 per cent from December 2017. Compared to November 2023, last month's total fell by 51 per cent.
There was also a 45 per cent rise in the number of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> compared to the same month last year. However, the traditional slowdown in activity associated with the festive period led vacancies to dip by 38 per cent from November 2023.
Slower month for placements
As expected, the last month of the year also saw a fall in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a>, with December's figure falling by 15 per cent from November. It also fell by 38 per cent from the same month last year.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Always the quietest month of the year, December 2023 didn't buck the trend. But it was far from the slowest December we've seen in recent years, with encouraging numbers of new candidates and vacancies.
"We're hoping this momentum continues into the early weeks of 2024, and we're already seeing very positive indications that it will do just that. It's looking like it's going to be a very busy start to the New Year with some great travel talent entering the market, and this increased competition means companies will have to offer their very best packages to secure the top candidates."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – December 2023

Travel jobs and candidates both up in December

The headline figure is that wages for <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a> are up by 11.4 per cent since last year and by 19.1 per cent since before the pandemic &ndash; which is great news! Everyone's benefitting and we're all now earning significantly more, right? Not quite.
For those in standard travel jobs (those paying less than &pound;40,000), pay increased by a very healthy 16.1 per cent between 2019 and 2022. But in the past year, it&rsquo;s risen by just 3.6 per cent &ndash; less than the rate of inflation.
And for those in junior travel jobs (those paying up to &pound;22,000), pay has increased by just 1.9 per cent so far in 2023. Those in <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/26-000-34-999">mid-level travel roles </a>(those paying between &pound;22,001 and &pound;29,999) have seen an even smaller annual rise of just 1.1 per cent.
Since 2019, pay for those in junior travel roles has increased by 9.8 per cent to stand at an average of &pound;20,942, while those in mid-level roles have seen wages rise by 4.7 per cent to reach an average of &pound;26,553 &ndash; an increase of only &pound;1,198 in four years. Just think about how much more expensive everything else has got in that time!
So what accounts for the big overall increase in wages? Rather inevitably, it's at the top. Pay for <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/40-000-49-999/50-000-59-999/60-000-69-999">executive roles</a> (&pound;40,000 and above) has risen by an average of 7.23 per cent in the past year and the overall figures have been skewed by a big increase in placements of higher-paid executives.
With an average wage rise of just 3.9 per cent (or less than inflation) for all new entry or mid-level roles (those paying less than &pound;30,000), how do we expect to entice candidates to work in the travel industry? And don't forget that from next April, minimum wage increases to &pound;11.44 per hour, meaning it will be illegal to pay any full-time employer aged 21 or older less than &pound;22,308.
In order to attract more talent into the industry, we need to see wages for junior and mid-level travel roles at least keeping pace with those of more senior positions &ndash; and preferably rising faster. That's how we create a talent pipeline for future years.
Travel's a fantastic industry, but we can't continue to be a low-paying one. We're already losing too much great talent to other sectors, and continuing to offer poor salaries to junior members of our teams will ultimately hurt us all.&nbsp;
Many travel companies are currently experiencing difficulties in <a href="../../../../../clients/">recruiting quality talent</a>, and unfortunately this is a byproduct of our history of low pay &ndash; many talented travel professionals have left our industry in recent years and they're not looking back. And with far better salaries in other sectors, how can we blame them?&nbsp;
Some companies simply don't get it. They want candidates with years of travel experience, but are only willing to offer salaries that already looked miserly five years ago. It should go without saying that it is proving more and more difficult - almost impossible - to find talent for these roles.
This is on us. As difficult as it is, for the health of the travel industry, we simply must offer better salaries to our junior and mid-level team members.
Otherwise, we're creating real problems for future years.
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By Barbara Kolosinaka, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment
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We've heard for some time now that salaries are increasing continually in the travel industry, but when you dive into the stats, is that actually true? Well, yes…but also no…

Travel salaries are going up and up (…or are they?)

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel job seekers reach highest total since March</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies also rise, but placements see small dip</li>
</ul>
Jobs and applicants on the up
The number of <a href="../../../../../candidates/">new candidates searching for travel jobs</a> rose by 27 per cent in November to reach its highest total since March, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's number was also up by six per cent from the same month last year, up by 41 per cent from the pre-pandemic month of November 2019 and down by less than one per cent from November 2018.
There was also a healthy 23 per cent monthly rise in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> being made available during the month. However, November's total remained down by 24 per cent from the same month in 2022 and down by 28 per cent from November 2019.
Small dip in placements&nbsp;
The month also saw a small fall in travel job placements, with the figure dipping by seven per cent from October. Compared to previous years, last month was down by 56 per cent from both November 2022 and November 2019.&nbsp;
Speaking about the stats, <a href="../../../../../team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "The travel industry has been crying out all year for quality candidates, so we're very pleased to see this big increase in applicants. And with more new candidates searching for travel jobs than in any November in the past five years, there is clearly some quality talent out there ready to be snapped up by the right roles.
"All attention now turns to the New Year, which is traditionally an extremely busy time for travel recruitment, but the increased competition means that companies will need to ensure they <a href="../../../../../news/recruiters-views/travel-salaries-are-going-up-and-up-or-are-they-/">offer attractive salaries and packages</a> &ndash; particularly at lower levels &ndash; in order to attract talent."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – November 2023

Travel candidates rise to 8-month high

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New candidates increase to three-month high</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Job placements jump 7%</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies dip to six-month low</li>
</ul>
Positive month for travel jobseekers
The number of new jobseekers searching for <a href="../../../../../jobs/">travel roles</a> increased by 18 per cent in October to reach its highest level in three months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Compared to previous years, October's total was down by 19 per cent from the same month last year, up by eight per cent from October 2021, up by 128 per cent from October 2020 (mid-pandemic) and down by 21 per cent from October 2019.
There was also a rise in the number of candidates being placed in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a>, with a <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-candidates-rise-but-vacancies-dip-in-sept/">seven per cent increase from September</a>. However, October's total was down by a steep 63 per cent from the same month in 2022's record-setting year.
Vacancies slip
New vacancies fell back in October by nine per cent from September to reach their lowest point in six months. Last month's figure was also down by 56 per cent from October 2022.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "The last time candidates and placements both increased in the same month was back in <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-jump-131-in-may/">May</a>, so there are lots of positives to take from these figures. In particular, it's great to see a healthy rise in new jobseekers.&nbsp;
"As we enter the start of winter, we're unlikely to see a big increase in recruitment until the new year. But January is always one of the very busiest months for recruitment with a much-increased level of competition for the best candidates - meaning there are real opportunities out there right now to take advantage of the quieter market and secure great talent in time for the peak season."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – October 2023

Travel candidates and job placements both up in Oct

One of the most unexpected trends we've seen recently in travel recruitment is the increasing number of candidates who don't include any contact information on their CV. No address. No phone number. No email. Nothing! A <a href="../../../../../news/job-tips/easy-ways-to-improve-your-cv/">great CV</a> should of course showcase your skills, qualifications, and experience, but it's absolutely vital that you also include contact information.
We'd like to speak
First of all, if you don't include any contact details on your CV, how can recruiters get in touch with you about any great new jobs?! It may sound obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many candidates fail to do it. Why put all the effort in to <a href="../../../../../news/job-tips/c-m-s-definitive-guide-to-the-perfect-cv/">making your CV as perfect and eye grabbing as possible</a>&hellip;and then give the recruiter no way to contact you?&nbsp;
Privacy / bias concerns
Well, a big reason may be to do with concerns regarding privacy or unconscious bias &ndash; and these worries are absolutely legitimate. In particular, more and more of us are now aware of unconscious bias - and this is why we always encourage candidates to not include a photo on their CV.
Similarly, there's no reason to include the dates of when you went to school - and if you've been in employment for a number of years, you may not want to include details of your education at all.
But contact details and your location? Both should be a fundamental part of everyone's CV.
Consider generic postcodes
If you don't want to include your exact postcode due to privacy concerns, that's absolutely fine. But many recruiters search for relevant candidates on job boards or on their own database using a postcode and radius, so if you don't want to be overlooked for new roles, it's a good idea to include a postcode on your CV &ndash; even if it's just the one for your nearest train station.
No address? No roles
Not including any address at all, means you're far less likely to be contacted about relevant jobs. You don't need to include your house number and street name, but if recruiters don't even know which town or city you live in, it becomes much more difficult to match you to appropriate roles.
While there are more <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/remote">fully-remote positions </a>out there now than in the past, they still only make up around one in four of all available <a href="../../../../../jobs/">travel jobs</a>. At the moment, around 45% of all job vacancies in the travel industry are <a href="../../../../../jobs/#/hybrid">hybrid positions</a>, with a further 30% being fully office-based.
If you don't include any location details on your CV, then you simply won't appear in any search of candidates for either hybrid or office-based roles. You're essentially ruling yourself out of three quarters of all <a href="../../../../../jobs/">available jobs</a>.&nbsp;
Ultimately, leaving your address off your CV is likely to considerably hinder your chances of being contacted about relevant jobs. And if you don't include an email address or phone number? Forget it - your chances of finding a new role are practically zero.

More and more candidates leave their address off their CV – here's why that's a dreadful idea!

Why you should ALWAYS include contact details on your CV

C&amp;M Travel Recruitment is delighted to welcome an experienced recruiter and travel professional to its Senior Appointments team.
Joining C&amp;M at the start of November, <a href="../../../../../team/pamela-harrison/">Pamela Harrison</a> has amassed ten years' experience in the travel industry as well as four years in recruitment.
After graduating in Matla as a Tourist Guide, Pamela began her career in travel insurance as a Travel Assistance Coordinator at Travel Guard in in 2010, before moving on to organise educational school trips worldwide as a Senior Tour Coordinator at Travelbound Education and then joining HolidayTaxis as its Online Partnership Support Executive and Cities Contractor.
She then made a career change into recruitment in 2018 before rejoining HolidayTaxis in the role of Senior Sourcing Manager.
Pamela's addition to C&amp;M Travel Recruitment follows the arrivals of both Jacky Docherty and Lisa Haynes last year.
Speaking about joining C&amp;M, Pamela said: "Having a love for travelling and a passion for recruitment, I decided I wanted to combine the two industries I love into one <a href="../../../../../jobs/">job</a> - and I came across C&amp;M. It felt like the perfect match for me and, now that I've joined the team, I'm excited to start this journey at C&amp;M!"
Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "Pamela's background of travel and recruitment is a perfect blend for C&amp;M and we&rsquo;re delighted to welcome her to the team. We're really looking forward to Pamela using her 14 years' experience to help her clients with all their recruitment needs, and we're sure she'll be a huge success here at C&amp;M!"
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

Pamela Harrison joins C&M's Senior Appointments team

C&M bolsters team with new Senior Recruitment Consultant

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small rise in new jobseekers</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies fall back</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Slowest month of year for placements</li>
</ul>
Travel jobseekers on the up
The number of new <a href="../../../../../jobs/">candidates searching for jobs</a> in the travel industry rose in September, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The month saw a three per cent rise in new jobseekers from <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/busiest-august-for-new-travel-jobs-in-6-years/">August</a>, while compared to previous years, last month's total was down by 12 per cent from September 2022, up by four per cent from 2021 and down by 18 per cent from September 2019.
Slower month for travel activity
Less positively, there was a fall in placements during the month, with the number of <a href="../../../../../candidates/">candidates</a> finding new travel roles dipping by 13 per cent from August to its lowest level of the year. The figure was also down by 59 per cent from September 2022.
Similarly, the number of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a> being made available dipped back to its lowest point in five months. With a 45 per cent fall from August, September's total was also down by 53 per cent from the same month last year.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "It's always positive to see a rise in the number of people looking to work in the travel industry. <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">Salaries are up by around 13 per cent</a> so far this year and it's vitally important that we promote the perks of working in travel and continue to do all we can to encourage candidates to join our industry.
"Travel recruitment activity remains slower than we would traditionally expect at this time of year, but that also means there are fantastic opportunities for employers to access a wider talent pool by advertising their upcoming vacancies immediately."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – September 2023 

Travel candidates rise, but vacancies dip in Sept

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New travel jobs jump by 40 per cent from August 2022</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and placements dip to 2023 low</li>
</ul>
Strong month for new travel vacancies
The number of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new job opportunities in the travel industry </a>has risen to its highest August total since 2017, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's figure was up by 40 per cent from August 2022, up by 78 per cent from August 2021, up by nine per cent from August 2019 and up by 12 per cent from August 2018.
Even more impressively, August 2023 recorded the third highest monthly total of new travel roles so far this year &ndash; despite the distractions of the late summer holidays.
Summer slowdown for candidates
In contrast, the volume of new candidates searching for jobs in the travel industry fell by 18 per cent in August to its lowest level in 2023 so far. However, with the exception of December, August is traditionally the slowest month of the year for travel recruitment. August 2023's figure stands just four per cent below August 2022, 15 per cent below August 2021, nine per cent below August 2019 and up by seven per cent from August 2018.
The month also saw a fall in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel job</a> placements, with August's total dipping by 26 per cent from the previous month and by 58 per cent from August 2022.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "August is always one of the slowest months of the year for recruitment &ndash; with holidays and late summer childcare taking priority for both <a href="https://candm.co.uk/candidates/">job seekers </a>and decision makers. Despite that, August was a much busier month for new vacancies than we have seen in recent years.
"Lots of exciting roles have newly been made available and this should lead to an increase in job placements in the next couple of months. Also, <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2023-h1-overview/">travel salaries</a> have now been steadily rising for around two years and we're continuing to see monthly increases as companies battle for the best candidates in the market."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – August 2023 

Busiest August for new travel jobs in 6 years

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements increase for third month in row</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Small dip in new candidates</li>
</ul>
Travel vacancies rise
The number of new job vacancies being made available in the travel industry <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-placements-rise-but-activity-dips-in-june/">jumped by 46 per cent last month</a>, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
July's big increase marked the third highest monthly total of the year so far. Compared to previous years, the number was down by six per cent from July 2022, down by 24 per cent from July 2021 and down by nine per cent from July 2018, but up by seven per cent from July 2019, up by one per cent from July 2017 and up by 14 per cent from July 2016.
There was also positive news in terms of placements with a 14 per cent monthly increase in the number of candidates being awarded <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a>. Placements have now risen for three consecutive months, with July's total being the highest since March. Compared to previous years, July 2023 was down by 49 per cent from July 2022, up by 27 per cent from July 2021 and down by 11 per cent from July 2019.
Small fall in candidates
The number of <a href="../../../../../candidates/">new candidates searching for travel jobs</a> saw a small dip in July with a four per cent fall from the previous month. Last month&rsquo;s total was also down by seven per cent from July 2022 and 29 per cent from July 2021, but was up by 51 per cent from July 2020, up by 35 per cent from July 2019 and up by 34 per cent from July 2018.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "With new vacancies and placements both increasing, and only a small dip in new candidates, July was a positive month for travel recruitment.
"It's mid-summer with all of the usual holiday distractions, so we don't expect activity to truly pick up again until September, but last month still saw many travel companies recruiting for a variety of very attractive new roles. And it's a great time to do it &ndash; while some companies will wait until the autumn before focusing on recruitment, those who start hiring early will have the pick of the summer candidates."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – July 2023 

Big rise in new travel vacancies in July

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Travel wages rise 21 per cent since pre-pandemic</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Executive salaries outpacing standard travel roles</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Vacancies dip from 2022, but candidates rise</li>
</ul>
Wages continue fast climb
Salaries for <a href="../../../../jobs/">new jobs in the travel industry</a> continue to rise with an <a href="../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-h1-overview/">increase of 12.58 per cent</a> in the first half of this year, according to the 2023 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment which surveyed all new vacancies registered with the company during the timeframe.
The jump takes the average wage for a new travel job to &pound;33,445 &ndash; up a huge 20.78 per cent (or &pound;5,755) from the first six months of 2019 (pre-pandemic).
Executive travel roles (those paying &pound;40,000 and above) were responsible for much of the overall increase, with a salary hike of 17.03 per cent in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year. The average figure of &pound;58,737 is up &pound;8,548 from the start of 2022.
Standard travel jobs (those paying below &pound;40,000) rose by a smaller <a href="../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-h1-overview/">5.99 per cent in the past year</a>, although they were also up by 18.02 per cent from the first half of 2019. The average salary of &pound;29,290 is up by &pound;1,655 from the start of 2022 and up by &pound;4,473 from the start of 2019.
It was a similar picture in the business travel sector with a 9.23 per cent increase from the first half of last year. The average new business travel job now comes with a salary of &pound;32,034 - up by 23.33 per cent from the first six months of 2019.
Activity dips from 2022
After 2022's record highs, recruitment activity in the travel industry fell back in the first six months of this year. Vacancies were down by 35 per cent from 2022 and down by 16 per cent from the start of 2019. In contrast, the number of <a href="../../../../candidates/">new candidates</a> registering for travel jobs between January and June 2023 increased by 20 per cent from the same months last year and by 28 per cent from the same period in 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "One of the big barriers to attracting talent in the travel industry has always been the comparatively low salaries on offer. Travel's seen as a fun and enjoyable sector to be in, but would you take a pay cut to work here? Well, thankfully, we're now seeing a big increase in wages across the whole industry.
"With a 21 per cent rise since before the pandemic and a 12.5 per cent jump in the last year alone, travel salaries are now finally catching up to those in other industries. It's still very much a candidate-driven market with a lack of experienced applicants, but this big jump in salaries should help to entice quality talent to explore the many excellent career opportunities out there right now."
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All figures are drawn from the salaries of new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

The 2023 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment

Travel salary index - 2023 H1 overview

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements increase for second month in a row</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">But vacancies down from May</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates also see small monthly fall</li>
</ul>
Travel placements inch up
The number of candidates placed in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a> has risen for the second consecutive month, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
However, June's increase of three per cent meant that activity levels remained lower than in previous years, with a fall of 52 per cent from June 2022, a rise of 76 per cent from June 2021, and falls of 30 per cent from June 2019 and 50 per cent from June 2018.
Candidates and vacancies see monthly dips
The month saw a small fall in the number of new candidates searching for travel jobs, with a decrease of 11 per cent from <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-jump-131-in-may/">May</a>. Compared to previous years, June 2023 was down by a slim one per cent from June 2022, up by 11 per cent from June 2021, up by 21 per cent from June 2019 and up by 16 per cent from June 2018.
The number of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new jobs</a> being created in the travel industry fell back in June by 40 per cent from May.&nbsp;
Vacancy numbers slipped by 27 per cent from the same month in 2022, were up by 25 per cent from June 2021, but were down by 28 per cent from June 2019 and down by 29 per cent from June 2018.
Speaking about the stats, <a href="../../../../../team/barbara-kolosinska/">Barbara Kolosinska</a>, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "<a name="_Hlk140572691"></a>It&rsquo;s always great to see a rise in the number of candidates being placed in new travel roles &ndash; and while activity levels are down from last year, this allows us to spend more time focusing on each role and finding the perfect candidate for each company.&nbsp;
"Things have now reduced to a more manageable level from 2022, and with salaries continuing to rise, there are many, many fantastic opportunities out there for quality applicants.
"With summer now in full flow, we expect activity to remain around this level until everything picks up in September &ndash; leaving an excellent gap in the market for any travel company in the position to start their recruitment drive earlier than their competitors."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – June 2023 

Travel placements rise but activity dips in June

<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">Travel industry almost eliminates gender pay gap for non-executive roles</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">But pay gap for higher-salaried roles increases to 14.2 per cent</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Women awarded 71 per cent of all roles in travel</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Overall pay gap widens to 11.5 per cent</li>
</ul>
Gender pay split
The gender pay gap for non-executive roles in the travel industry was almost non-existent in 2022, according to new research from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
For junior roles (those paying up to &pound;22,000), the gap was just 0.41 per cent with the average man earning &pound;85 more than a woman, while the gap was reversed for mid-level positions (those paying between &pound;22,001 and &pound;29,999) with females earning &pound;103 (or 0.39 per cent) more than males.
There was also a very small pay gap for senior roles (those paying between &pound;30,000 and &pound;39,999) with men taking home an average of &pound;267 (or 0.81 per cent) more than their female equivalents.
However, there was a stark difference in <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">salaries</a> for executive roles (those paying &pound;40,000 and above), with the average male earning &pound;55,792 &ndash; a huge &pound;7,402 (or 14.21 per cent) more than a female counterpart. This gap has increased from 11.94 per cent in 2019 and 10.56 per cent in 2018.
Due to the difference in salaries for high-end jobs, the overall pay gap in the travel industry stands at 11.50 per cent (or &pound;3,606), which is down from <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2019/">14.15 per cent in 2019</a>, <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2018/">18.35 per cent in 2018</a> and <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/c-m-reveals-travel-s-gender-pay-split-2017/">12.75 per cent in 2017</a>.
Gender role split
In terms of the overall gender split in travel, females continued to be awarded the vast majority of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a> with a total of 70.7 per cent in 2022 &ndash; up from 68.7 per cent in 2019 and 68.6 per cent in 2018.
Females took 81.6 per cent of all entry-level positions last year (up from 70.8 per cent in 2019 and 74.1 per cent in 2018) and 76.8 per cent of all mid-level roles (up from 72.9 per cent in 2019 and 75.0 per cent in 2018).
For senior roles, females were awarded 66.0 per cent of all new jobs in 2022 (compared to 69.9 per cent in 2019 and 62.3 per cent in 2018), while 55.0 per cent of all executive roles were taken by females (compared to 53.2 per cent in 2019 and just 38.1 per cent in 2018).
Speaking about the findings, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "On the face of it, these figures make for good reading &ndash; the gender pay gap has been almost eliminated at nearly all levels of the travel industry. However, even though we are now seeing women being awarded the majority of executive positions in travel, men continue to dominate roles in the &pound;70,000+ range &ndash; and these top-end jobs account for the overall gap in pay that we are seeing.
"The travel industry has come a long way from just a few years ago, with more and more women being placed in higher-salaried roles, but more work still needs to be done. There is a real opportunity for travel to lead the way by creating true pay parity at all levels and eliminating the gender pay gap for good, but this will not happen until we start seeing more women being awarded the very top jobs."
Lindsay Garvey-Jones, Chair at The Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE), said: "The gender pay gap is a multifaceted issue with various factors at play. While some argue that it may not always be outright discrimination, choices are often influenced by circumstances and lack of education or awareness. Although businesses are now required to submit data on the gender pay gap, this data alone does not provide a comprehensive picture.
"Many women in our industry face complex choices regarding career advancement, often due to family responsibilities or health-related events like menopause or caregiving. These challenges can hinder their confidence and progress. Additionally, women tend to gravitate towards certain roles in industries like aviation, which are traditionally lower-paying. This raises questions about the industry's role in promoting diverse career options to women during their education. To address the gender pay gap, it is crucial to prioritize initiatives that tackle these underlying issues. By taking proactive steps, we can aim to close the pay gap much sooner than the predicted 202-year timeline [forecast by the World Economic Forum] and create a better future for generations to come."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M reveals travel's gender pay split - 2022

2022 was a fantastic year for travel recruitment &ndash; the <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">most successful in C&amp;M's 25 year history</a>. But it was always going to be an anomaly. Cut to halfway through 2023 and activity levels are roughly where we were before the pandemic.
Vacancies and placements are both down compared to last year of course, but this is no surprise. Many companies &ndash; especially TMCs &ndash; cut their headcount so deeply during the pandemic, they had to do a colossal amount of rebuilding and hiring last year.
They recruited so heavily in 2022 that they simply do not have the capacity or budget to continue at that pace in 2023. Expecting anything else would be unrealistic.
There's no reason to worry about this and it is no indication of where the year is going.
The truth is, for us at C&amp;M, last year was actually too busy. Our team were almost firefighting &ndash; they were manically busy, trying to react to the huge demand. They were working far longer hours than we would like and were stretched to capacity trying to fill all of the roles that we had on. It was our busiest and most successful year ever, but you can only maintain that level of activity for so long.
With fewer vacancies this year, it means we're able to <a href="../../../../../clients/">focus on each client</a> and manage each role much more thoroughly. And, importantly, it means our Consultants have more time to advise and guide our clients through every step of their hiring process. Although not at the level of 2022, we're still placing a large number of candidates in new travel roles every week &ndash; and we're now able to do it more efficiently with even better service and dedication.
Salaries going up and up
Wages in the travel industry have increased by around 11 per cent from the first half of 2022 and this is great news. It's long overdue but they need to continue rising as they have been historically low for far too long.
Quality candidates are still in short supply. The best were receiving four or five offers last year, with some companies even getting into price wars over certain applicants! However, with <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/">vacancies falling and candidate numbers rising in recent months</a>, this imbalance is now less pronounced and is beginning to rectify itself.
With wages increasing across the whole industry, there are now lots of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">attractive travel jobs</a> sparking the interest of both active and passive job seekers. These factors should combine to mean that companies will hopefully begin to have a bigger talent pool to choose from in the near future.
Widen your horizons
Of course, not all of these candidates will have the appropriate experience or qualifications to be the right fit for each specific role. But more and more of our clients are listening to us about broadening their requirements and looking outside of the industry for talent &ndash; and, we're glad to say, many are finding great success with their hires.
For any companies thinking of hiring later in 2023, we would advise them to do it now. Summer is always a quiet period for travel recruitment with normal pre-pandemic seasonal variations, but from September onwards things really heat up.
That's when all companies resume their recruitment&hellip;and they all fight each other for the best candidates! So for any travel companies that have the resources and time to recruit straightaway, we would advise them to jump ahead of the competition and <a href="../../../../../clients/">secure the top talent</a> before their competitors have even written their job adverts.
By Barbara Kolosinaka, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

After a monumentally busy 2022, travel companies are recruiting less in 2023 – here's why that's actually a good thing

Travel recruitment in 2023 – and why 2022 was just TOO busy 

C&amp;M Travel Recruitment is delighted to announce the launch of its new website following the most successful year in its history.
Aimed at providing candidates with the most user-friendly <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/jobs/">job search in the travel industry</a>, the new website coincides with C&amp;M's 25th birthday year.
The new site also quickly follows the launch of C&amp;M's new logo earlier in 2023.
Clean, bright, distinctive and easy to navigate, the candm.co.uk site features hundreds of <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/jobs/">travel jobs based all across the UK</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/news/job-tips/">career guides</a>, <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/news/">industry news</a> and <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/news/press-releases/">salary benchmarks</a>.
The launch of the new site comes at a busy time for travel recruitment, with May seeing a <a href="https://www.candm.co.uk/news/press-releases/new-travel-job-vacancies-jump-131-in-may/">131 per cent monthly increase in new travel job vacancies</a>.
Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "We've been around for 25 years and have just had our most successful year ever, and with the launch of our fantastic new website, we're truly excited about the next phase of C&amp;M.
"There continues to be a talent shortage in the travel industry, so when we were designing the new website, candidates were at the forefront of our minds. We wanted to create a much more user-friendly site for job seekers, allowing them to easily find and apply to relevant roles in the fewest number of steps.
"A big thanks to our friends at <a href="https://www.sourceflow.co.uk/">Sourceflow</a> who helped to design and create the site, and we can't wait for candidates and clients to experience what we believe is the leading recruitment website in the travel industry."
&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / <a href="mailto:owen@candm.co.uk">owen@candm.co.uk</a>) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / <a href="mailto:barbara@candm.co.uk">barbara@candm.co.uk</a>).

C&M Travel Recruitment launches a new website following the most successful year in its history

C&M rebrands with new website and logo

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Candidates and vacancies see big monthly rises</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements remain slower than average</li>
</ul>
Big rise in travel recruitment activity
The number of <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> rose by a huge 131 per cent in May 2023, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Last month's total was the <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/new-travel-jobseekers-hit-highest-point-in-18-months/">highest since January</a>, and also stands two per cent ahead of the pre-pandemic month of May 2019.
Similarly, the number of <a href="../../../../../candidates/">new candidates</a> searching for new travel jobs jumped by 24 per cent last month and also increased by two per cent from May 2022. Last month's rise was a welcome rebound from the fall seen in April and marked a 74 per cent increase from May 2021 and also a 22 per cent rise from May 2019.
Smaller increase for placements
The month also saw a small six per cent rise in the number of people being placed in new jobs in travel. However, the number remained low compared to previous Mays, with a drop of 67 per cent from the record-high month of May 2022, while it was also 27 per cent behind May 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "After a fall in activity around the Easter holidays, we're very pleased to see a big rebound in recruitment in May.
"In particular, it's great to see so many new travel jobs being made available. We're seeing more new roles being created than before the pandemic and, with <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">salaries continuing to rise</a>, this is further evidence that there are some truly fantastic opportunities currently out there for the right candidates."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – May 2023 

New travel job vacancies jump 131% in May

2022 was an extremely busy year for senior recruitment in the travel industry with a real jump in activity from the second quarter onwards. Business was growing, confidence was back and many companies were backfilling roles that they lost in the pandemic.
Although recruitment at the start of 2023 has not been quite as busy, it's still at a similar level to pre-pandemic times with slightly more relaxed deadlines than we saw in the previous 12 months.
Fewer active candidates
Last year was all about recruitment, with lots of new job openings and many people being vocal and proactive in terms of job searching. That isn't the case this year &ndash; those candidates have now settled into their roles and there are fewer people looking to move. This has resulted in a really limited number of quality active candidates in the senior travel market.
The candidate pool has become much more passive in 2023, with fewer people putting their CVs on job boards and applying for roles. But there is still quality out there. It may be harder to access these candidates, but if you can, then many are still very willing to consider moving&hellip;but it must be for the right opportunity.
Referrals and recommendations
One of the ways we're finding success at the moment is through&nbsp;<a title="Refer a friend to C&amp;M" href="../../../../../../news/press-releases/earn-250-by-simply-recommending-a-friend-/">referrals</a>, where candidates that we have worked with are recommending friends to us who are not necessarily active on job boards. For instance, we recently approached one person about a role and, although they weren't right for the job, they recommended someone who put us in contact with someone else who successfully got the role.
This was an experienced travel professional who wasn't on any of the job boards, wasn't actively looking to change roles and would have been impossible to find without these recommendations from past candidates.
No hybrid working? No applicants
For candidates, flexibility around hybrid and remote working is now just as important as the&nbsp;<a title="C&amp;M's Travel Salary Index" href="../../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">salary</a>&nbsp;package. This didn't used to be the case, but it is now absolutely commonplace. These days it is very rare to recruit for roles which are based full-time, 5 days a week in the office &ndash; and companies that want this are finding it a real struggle to fill these roles because flexibility is now seen as a must-have for almost all candidates.
Unlike the lower levels of the travel industry which have historically been poorly paid, salaries for senior and management roles in travel are very comparable to other industries. There are some small companies out there not offering top wages, but there are many travel tech companies, airlines or large OTAs paying really generous salaries. Of course, anything that travel companies can do to improve their salaries and overall packages will make it easier to attract top talent and stand out from their competitors.
Broaden your criteria &ndash; consider other sectors
This won't apply to all senior roles in travel, but depending on the position, we often suggest that companies consider widening their talent pool by looking at candidates from other sectors and industries. If it's a sales or marketing role, then companies will usually only consider candidates with travel experience. But if it's a finance or IT position, then there are a lot of great candidates out there from other industries who have the transferable skills to become a success in travel as well.
At the lower levels of the industry there is currently a huge shortage of talent, with the best candidates able to pick and choose from multiple offers. While this isn't quite the case for senior recruitment, those companies currently recruiting need to explore all options to find a successful hire in this challenging market.
By&nbsp;Tim Robinson, Sales Manager &ndash; Senior Appointments at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, and&nbsp;Ben Lidbury, Senior Account Manager &ndash; Senior Appointments at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

With a shortage of people looking for senior travel roles right now, how can companies find talent, how can we attract passive candidates and how can recruiters help?

Senior travel recruitment outlook – how can we attract passive candidates?

&ldquo;Should I include a photo on my CV? Can I leave gaps? What about hobbies?&rdquo; I&rsquo;ve been asked these (and many more) questions countless times over my 20 years in recruitment, so as the director of the UK&rsquo;s largest specialist travel recruitment company, I thought it was finally time to put together my guide to what you should and shouldn&rsquo;t include on your r&eacute;sum&eacute;.
Length / fonts / file formats
Gone are the days where your CV has to stick rigidly to a limit of two pages &ndash; if it&rsquo;s relevant and specific to the&nbsp;vacancy&nbsp;that you&rsquo;re applying for, feel free to make it longer, but there really is no point including anything irrelevant. In terms of fonts, it&rsquo;s best to keep it simple, so Arial or Verdana in size 10 is a safe bet. While there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with a basic black and white CV, you can be more experimental with the design - especially if you&rsquo;re going for a digital, marketing or creative role. However, don&rsquo;t be creative for the sake of it.
One of the key things that many people don&rsquo;t even consider is which file format they save their CV as. Most recruitment agencies and many big companies now parse candidates&rsquo; r&eacute;sum&eacute;s to their own database, and heavily formatted PDFs or those containing multiple images can sometimes create problems. So to give&nbsp;your CV&nbsp;the best chance of finding its way on to a recruiter&rsquo;s database, save it as a simple Word file and keep any uses of tables or boxes etc to a minimum.
It should (hopefully) go without saying that&nbsp;your CV&nbsp;should have a professional tone with perfect grammar, spelling and spacing, as well as consistency in terms of style and format. And it may be a personal annoyance, but I&rsquo;m instantly put off by any CV that&rsquo;s written in the third person. It should be first person every time.
Order / structure / which roles to include
Your <a href="../../../../../../news/job-tips/easy-ways-to-improve-your-cv/">CV</a> should start with your personal details i.e. name, address, email address, mobile phone number. This may sound obvious, but I&rsquo;m still amazed by how many people&rsquo;s CVs fail to include any contact information!
After this, provide a list of your experiences in reverse chronological date order beginning with your most recent&nbsp;job, with bullet points detailing your achievements and successes under each role. Even if your latest position isn&rsquo;t particularly relevant to the vacancy that you&rsquo;re applying for, you should still list it first because recruiters and employers need to know what you&rsquo;ve been doing.
How far back into your career you should go, really depends on how relevant the roles are. If you&rsquo;ve got a lot of experience then the last 10 to 15 years is the most important, but if you&rsquo;re relatively new to the industry then include all of it. If you&rsquo;ve spent a considerable number of years in one job, then break this down into the different roles that you had &ndash; and if you only had one role during that time, then split it into sub headings with separate tasks.
For every other job, list a few bullet points under each with a couple of examples of your successes &ndash; usually relating to targets, profitability and revenues. So if it&rsquo;s a marketing role, state which tasks you have been part of. If it is a sales role, detail which targets you had and illustrate how you reached them. If it&rsquo;s a customer service role, perhaps include some testimonials from clients that have been happy with your service.
Gaps
Whatever you do, don&rsquo;t leave gaps on <a href="../../../../../../news/job-tips/more-easy-ways-to-improve-your-cv/">your CV</a>. As a recruitment agency representing you, we need to know what you were doing so that we can explain it to the potential employer in the best way. However, if you sent your CV directly to the employer and it included big gaps, they&rsquo;re likely to think that you&rsquo;ve either been doing nothing, were unemployed or were maybe even in prison! The CV is your shop window and it needs to sell you in the best possible way, so don&rsquo;t make problems for yourself by leaving gaps and creating needless question marks.
Education
How much educational information you include on your CV depends on how much experience you have. Even if you&rsquo;ve been in the industry for a significant amount of time, then it is still important to put some education on your CV &ndash; especially if you are degree or A level educated. So list where you were educated and a top overview of what qualifications you&rsquo;ve gained, but you don&rsquo;t need to specify every individual subject and grade. Any additional qualifications or training should go above your education but below the employment history.
Hobbies
Something that people often overlook on their CVs are hobbies, but I think they can be really important &ndash; especially any sporting achievements. If you&rsquo;re going for a sales role, then someone with a competitive nature or a high achiever within the sporting field will always be attractive, so if you&rsquo;ve played any activity to a club, borough or country level, then this should certainly be included because it demonstrates drive and application, and potentially the ability to work as part of a team as well.
Also, what looks is good is if you&rsquo;ve coached any teams, such as children&rsquo;s football or something similar. Hobbies outside of work are quite important, especially if they are in some way relevant to the role that you&rsquo;re going for. Every recruiter is different, but I always look at hobbies on a CV.
Personal statement
All candidates should make sure they include a personal statement, which should be at the top of the CV below the personal details. In it should be everything that&rsquo;s not included in other categories, so it should include attributes, strengths, achievements that aren&rsquo;t already listed &ndash; such as if they have sat on any boards &ndash; and things that are related to the industry that aren&rsquo;t in their employment history. It should be a paragraph or perhaps two at the most, but no longer - and it absolutely shouldn&rsquo;t take up half a page.
Cover letter
Separate covering letters aren&rsquo;t really used anymore, but you should still include a version of it on the email when sending your CV in. It should be a short synopsis of the CV which needs to state what role you&rsquo;re going for, what your attributes are, why you could be good for the position, when you&rsquo;re available for interview and how close you&rsquo;re located to the vacancy. If you&rsquo;re applying to a recruitment agency then you should also say how far you would be willing to travel for the right role, what salary you&rsquo;re looking for, why you&rsquo;re leaving your current role, what notice period you&rsquo;re on and whether you&rsquo;re applying for any other roles. That should all be condensed down into about two paragraphs or, even better, use bullet points.
Photos
Don&rsquo;t do it! When applying for the average role, including a photo on your application is just ridiculous. Unless it&rsquo;s absolutely relevant (for example, if you&rsquo;re applying for a cabin crew role and the employer is interested in your appearance), please don&rsquo;t even consider it. Including a photo just opens up the risk that the employer might discount you purely for what you look like.
Also, it can potentially come across as arrogant because employers may think that you presume you have an advantage in getting the job because of your looks.
Need more help?
Hopefully that&rsquo;s covered a lot of questions, but C&amp;M Travel Recruitment have been helping candidates find great travel roles for the past two decades, so if you need any <a href="../../../../../../news/job-tips/how-to-build-up-your-cv/">extra help with your CV </a>or want to know how best to present yourself, just let us know.
Barbara Kolosinska is the Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Barbara Kolosinska shares her ultimate guide to creating the perfect CV

C&M's definitive guide to the perfect CV

<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Placements slip to 16-month low</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">New vacancies and candidates also down</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">May sees stronger start</li>
</ul>
Slow month for travel recruitment
The number of candidates being placed in <a href="../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs</a> has fallen back to its lowest level in 16 months, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
April's total was down by 41 per cent from March and was the lowest figure since December 2021. Compared to previous years, last month's number was down by 64 per cent from April 2022 and 47 per cent below April 2019.
After reaching a <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/new-travel-job-seekers-hit-5-year-high/">five-year high in March</a>, the number of new candidates also dipped in April. Last month's total was down by 38 per cent from the previous month, but remained up by ten per cent from April 2022. The number was up by 39 per cent from April 2021 and up by nine per cent from April 2019.
Vacancies dip
There was also a fall in new vacancies which decreased to their lowest level since December. April's total was down by 49 per cent from March and by 61 per cent from last April. The figure was up by 67 per cent from April 2021, but down by 47 per cent from April 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "April was the slowest month for travel recruitment that we have seen for some time. Much of this downturn can be attributed to Easter, which appeared to have a larger impact on activity than usual, with many decision makers taking time off during the month. However, May is already looking like a much more positive month &ndash; despite the multiple bank holidays.
"After a <a href="../../../../../news/press-releases/travel-salary-index-2022-overview/">historic year for travel recruitment</a>, 2023 has had a much more mixed start, with placements and vacancies both increasing in two of the first four months of the year and falling in the other two. With quality candidates still being in short supply, it is vitally important that we do all we can to entice talent to work in the industry by making our new job opportunities as exciting, well-paid and attractive as possible."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – April 2023 

Travel job activity falls back in April

<ul>
<li>Candidates reach highest point since 2018</li>
<li>Vacancies edge up</li>
<li>Placements rise from Feb, but down from 2022</li>
</ul>
Travel candidates rise again
The number of <a href="../../../../../../candidates/">new candidates</a> searching for <a href="../../../../../../jobs/">jobs in the travel industry </a>has risen to its highest level in five years, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
The volume of job seekers has now increased for three consecutive months and has reached a peak last seen in March 2018. Last month's total was up by 14 per cent from February and up by 39 per cent from one year ago.&nbsp;
There was also a monthly rise in <a href="../../../../../../jobs/">new travel job vacancies</a> which edged up by 10 per cent from February. Despite being down by 63 per cent from last March's all-time record figure, March 2023's total was comparable to previous years, and stands just 12 per cent below March 2019.
Mixed picture for travel placements
It was also a contrasting month for placements with the number of candidates being placed in travel jobs rising by 35 per cent from February, but falling by 47 per cent from the ten-year high recorded last March. Compared to previous years, last month's total was up by 81 per cent from March 2020, but down by 19 per cent from March 2019.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "To see that candidate registrations have reached a five-year high is very, very welcome news. But we're in a strange position because despite there being a big increase in the number of new applicants, we're still in an extremely candidate-driven market. Ultimately, the sheer scale of the talent shortage that we've experienced over the past three years is still massively impacting travel recruitment and it will take many more months before the situation rectifies itself.
"Quality candidates still have all the power, with the best applicants receiving multiple offers from various companies and are often receiving counter offers from their current employer as well. Those travel companies looking to attract top talent right now need to act fast because the best candidates are being snapped up extremely quickly."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – March 2023 

New travel job seekers hit 5-year high

How can you compare one&nbsp;candidate against another? How can you be sure an applicant is right for your company? Which questions should you ask to find out the most about each potential employee? Conducting a great job interview can be a tricky business, so here's C&amp;M's guide to getting the very most from each meeting.
Research and prepare
You would expect all candidates to have done their research before attending an interview, so why should the interviewer go in unprepared? In advance of meeting the applicant, you should attempt to get an idea of who will be stepping into the room. So look at their social media profiles, re-read their CV and have a copy in front of you during the interview to refer back to.
If you're using a&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../about-us/">recruitment agency</a>, then take on board everything that they've told you and have this information with you throughout the meeting.
Also, have an appropriate amount of time booked free in your diary and make sure you have secured an appropriate room in advance. Private interviews should never be conducted in public.
Explain the process
Most candidates will have taken time off work to see you, so at the start of the interview it's important to let them know the expected duration, process and format that the meeting will take.
Many companies also like to introduce potential recruits to some of their existing employees to see how they may fit into the team. If this is the case, then let the candidate know this before you begin asking questions. Don't wait until the end of a 90-minute interview to let the candidate know they're required to be here for another hour while they meet their potential colleagues.
Make them feel at ease
It's entirely normal for candidates to feel nervous and on edge in the run-up to an important job interview, so try to put them at ease. Ask them how their journey was and whether they would like a glass of water.
A lot of candidates have an 'interview persona', but you should aim to get past that and find the real person, so make them feel comfortable and try to get them to talk naturally to you.
There's also no point in asking questions that are designed to provoke candidates or make them feel uneasy &ndash; you want to get to know them rather than annoy them.
Keep it consistent
Some interviewers tailor their questions to each applicant, but it's a good idea to have a list of questions that will be asked to all contenders for a particular role. This creates a level playing field and will let you compare candidates against each other far more easily.
"What do you know about this company?" "Why do you want this role?" "Have you ever had to deal with performance management issues?" "Tell me about a problem you encountered in the workplace and how you dealt with it?"
Also, make sure to ask them about any gaps in their CV and, if it's a customer facing role, then you may want them to do a presentation.
Let them know the next steps
At the end of the interview, ask them how they thought it went &ndash; "do you think you would like to work here?" It's then important to let the candidate know where they stand or, at the very least, what the next part of the process is and when they can expect to hear from you.
If the meeting didn't go well and you have the confidence to tell them this, then let them know immediately because although it may be tough to hear, they will appreciate your honesty.
Equally, there's nothing wrong with taking your time to make a decision. But if you're convinced that this is the candidate for you, then you may want to offer them the position straight away to demonstrate how keen you are to have them as part of your team.

Conducting a great job interview can be tricky, so here's C&M's guide to getting the very most from each meeting

Job interview tips for clients

JOB ADVERT - KEY DETAILS 
JOB TITLE&nbsp;&ndash; Despite the urge to grab attention in your job title, it makes far more sense to keep it simple and generic, so if you're recruiting for a Business Travel Consultant, then your job title should simply be 'Business Travel Consultant'. This is because when a candidate searches for a role, job board algorithms mean the roles which most closely resemble the search term will be featured first. Think about it from a candidate&rsquo;s perspective - most people will just search for a simple job title, so anything with extra detail (such as 'Business Travel Consultant &ndash; South West London' or 'Business Travel Consultant &ndash; excellent salary') will feature down the list of search results below adverts with simpler job titles
LOCATION&nbsp;&ndash; In complete contrast to your job title, you should be as specific as possible with your location. Candidates are much more likely to search by a postcode, town or city than by a region or county, so never advertise your role as being in the 'South West' or 'North East'. Ideally include the postcode, but if you don't want to specify the exact location, try using the postcode for a nearby train station or coffee shop instead
SALARY&nbsp;&ndash; Job adverts that feature a salary are far more likely to grab the attention of job seekers so always include pay levels if you can. If you don't want to include the exact figure then include a salary band, but if you can't mention numbers at all, then highlight another reason for someone to join your company - for instance 'excellent salary and uncapped OTE' or 'competitive salary plus great career growth potential'
JOB TYPE &ndash; Specify whether the role is a permanent, temporary or contract position
JOB ADVERT &ndash; MAIN BODY 
Job Title&nbsp;- this should be bold and in capitals. For SEO reasons, you will want to repeat the job title around four or five times in your advert. A great way of doing this is to use the headings in bold below.
Description &ndash; in lower case, use a couple of sentences to sell your company, briefly detail the role and tell candidates why they should work for you. For instance: 'A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join this established and expanding independent TMC based in wonderful modern offices in the heart of the City. Due to continual growth, we are looking for the best Business Travel Consultants around to join our friendly team and will pay up to &pound;40,000 plus an amazing bonus, benefits and opportunities for career progression.'
Job Title - Responsibilities&nbsp;&ndash; i.e. 'Business Travel Consultant - Responsibilities'
<ul>
<li>Using four or five brief bullet points, list the key responsibilities or duties of the role. For instance:</li>
<li>Look after a range of high-profile accounts booking their worldwide travel arrangements using Amadeus</li>
<li>Deal with enquiries including complex itineraries by phone or email from start to finish including flights, accommodation, car hire, rail etc.</li>
<li>Offer the best solution for each customer while optimising profit opportunities</li>
<li>Liaise with suppliers and offer a high level of service to clients</li>
</ul>
Job Title &ndash; Required Skills&nbsp;&ndash; i.e. 'Business Travel Consultant &ndash; Required Skills'
<ul>
<li>Using four or five brief bullet points, list the key skills that are needed in the role. For instance:</li>
<li>5 years' experience working as either a Business Travel Consultant or Senior Business Travel Consultant</li>
<li>Knowledge of Galileo or Amadeus is a must</li>
<li>Excellent Fares knowledge</li>
<li>Strong ticketing experience</li>
</ul>
Job Title &ndash; Additional Information&nbsp;&ndash; i.e. 'Business Travel Consultant &ndash; Additional Information'
<ul>
<li>Using four or five brief bullet points, list the benefits of working for the company including the salary, perks, bonuses, potential for travel, free car parking etc. For instance:</li>
<li>Earn up to &pound;40,000 plus an excellent bonus, benefits, pension and healthcare</li>
<li>Free on-site parking and free use of on-site gym</li>
<li>Educational trips to long-haul destinations, plus discounted holidays for family members</li>
<li>Excellent scope for progression &ndash; this is a brilliant time to join this company</li>
<li>Work Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1730</li>
</ul>
Finally, you need to let the reader know how they can apply for the role, so end the job advert with a short sentence stating that if a candidate is interested in the position, they should send their CV to ### or call ###.

Here's our indispensable guide to creating a great job advert

C&M's job advert guide

<ul>
<li>New travel job seekers reach highest point since July 2021</li>
<li>Vacancies see single-digit fall from 2022</li>
<li>Job placements fall back in Feb</li>
</ul>
Job seekers increase again
The number of candidates searching for <a href="../../../../../../jobs/">new travel jobs </a>has risen again to reach the second highest total since mid-2018, according to the latest figures from C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
Increasing by&nbsp;three per cent from January, the total volume of&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../candidates/">new job seekers</a>&nbsp;jumped to a 19-month high in February 2023. It was also the highest February figure for six years - up by 39 per cent from last February, up by 109 per cent from February 2021, up by 76 per cent from February 2020, up by 39 per cent from February 2019, up by 20 per cent from February 2018 and down by less than one per cent from February 2017.
Mixed month for new vacancies
It was a less encouraging month for&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../jobs/">new travel job vacancies&nbsp;</a>which slipped by 33 per cent from January's highs. However, last month's total was very comparable to previous Februarys, with a fall of nine per cent from February 2022 and a rise of four per cent from February 2020.
It was also a slower month for placements, with the number of candidates being placed in&nbsp;new travel jobs&nbsp;falling back in February by 22 per cent from the previous month and by 29 per cent from February 2022. Excluding the pandemic-affected month of February 2021, this was the lowest February total since 2014.
Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Managing Director at C&amp;M Travel Recruitment, said: "February was a very mixed month for travel recruitment, with a much-welcome rise in new candidates, but a fall in both vacancies and placements. However, March is already looking like a stronger month for activity.
"The industry is still crying out for talented travel candidates, so the increased number of job seekers that we have seen in both January and February are a great first step, but we need these strong figures to continue throughout the early months of 2023 and beyond."
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All figures are drawn from the month&rsquo;s new vacancies advertised with C&amp;M Travel Recruitment.
C&amp;M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.
For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Marketing and Operations Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Managing Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

C&M Travel Recruitment’s Activity Index – February 2023 

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