Green shoots replace travel doom and gloom
The travel industry is finally showing signs of recovery, according to experts.
Two years ago, White Hart Associates senior partner Chris Photi described 2011 as the worst for overseas travel in his 33-year career and said 2012 wouldn’t be much better.
At the time, he quoted one industry colleague who described the situation as "travel meltdown".
Now, Photi is seeing "green shoots…and getting the right vibes".
He said: "This year has been reasonably good, apart from July when the good weather meant no-one was thinking about booking a holiday.
"The industry in general is doing better.
"There is less negativity around the Thomas Cook position, for example, which is good news for the whole of travel.
"There is little doubt that there is a feel-good factor starting to happen.
"The financial experts are coming out saying that there are green shoots in the economy as a whole and people are starting to believe it."
Photi’s enthusiasm is mirrored by C&M Recruitment, which has released details of its latest salary survey, showing earnings are on the rise (see separate story).
Sales director Barbara Kolosinska said: "Recruitment companies act as barometers for the industry and we have been hearing – and seeing – for a while now that the industry is feeling more positive.
"This ties in with the findings of our salary survey, which shows salaries are up – signifying a return to confidence in the industry.
"We’ve been seeing positive signs over the last few months in both leisure and business travel.
"Clients are getting busier and are regaining their confidence in recruiting staff again."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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