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Travel salaries in the UK rose by 1.66% last year, a slower rate than 2012, to reach an average £24,831, according to a recruitment company survey.
The increase was below the rate of inflation and well behind the 5.12% annual rise in the previous 12 months, according to the latest travel salary index from C&M Recruitment Consultancy and Chisholm & Moore Executive Recruitment.
However, the index suggests average salaries for new jobs in the travel industry rose for a third year.
There was a strong increase in the number of travel companies looking to expand their teams, with a 4.6% annual rise in the number of jobs made available.
Last year also saw a strong increase in applicant numbers, with new candidate registrations rising by 9.32% compared to 2012.
The average salary for a role advertised with C&M Recruitment Consultancy, which focuses on new positions with salaries up to £40,000, stood at £19,908 in 2013.
The average figure for positions advertised with Chisholm & Moore Executive Recruitment, which deals with salaries of £40,000 and above, reached £55,640.
The figures rose year on year by 3.21% and 1.07% respectively.
Salaries also rose in both the north and south of the UK last year, with the 4.48% increase in northern wages easily outpacing the 1.50% rise seen in the south. Despite this, average salaries for new travel jobs remained about 22% higher in the south than the north.
Sales director Barbara Kolosinska said: “With salaries, job availability and new candidate registrations all rising annually, 2013 was undoubtedly a positive year for travel recruitment.
“The most pleasing thing is that we saw average salaries for new travel jobs increase last year after also rising in 2012 and 2011.
“We’re hearing from many people in the sector that they are confident about what 2014 has in store and we’re delighted our own figures suggest the industry is in a healthy place.
“In addition, we’ve seen a strong start to this year, with far more new vacancies being made available in January than we would expect to see in the average month.”
She added: “Many may be surprised to see pay growing quicker in the north than in the south, but we saw the same result in 2012. However, it is highly unlikely the salary gap will narrow considerably in the near future.”