C&M Travel Recruitment's most recent data shows employment activity slowed in May as global events continued to impact the market, with the number of new travel job opportunities falling by 7% versus April and by 26% against May 2025.
However, this data fails to capture the period since the US and Iran agreed a tentative peace deal, and the Foreign Office eased its advice for the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Several agencies, including Beverley Travel and Seaside Travel, which have both recently expanded their businesses, are bucking this trend, telling TTG they have either remained in the jobs market or have recently started recruiting again.
Nicola Evans Park, owner of Seaside Travel, said she was taking a “full steam ahead” approach to hiring, revealing that 18 would-be homeworkers were currently undergoing agent training. Seaside Travel’s homeworking division – Seaside at Home – currently has 89 agents. Head of Homeworking John Milburn aims to recruit at least 11 more before the end of the year.
“We’re hoping to have 100 by the end of the year,” he said. "We normally take on 10 to 12 people each intake. We do around eight intakes a year. When we open pre-registration, we get around 150 applications."
Reflecting on recent booking levels, Milburn added: “We had an absolutely fantastic month in May, but it’s been a bit quieter this month [June] because of the weather."
Beverley Travel has hired three sales staff and a marketing executive in recent weeks, with plans to recruit more soon. Director Kelly Cheesman said: “We’ve never been able to pause recruitment.”
But other agencies strongly suggested rising sales had encouraged them to expand theirs teams again. Hays Travel, the UK’s largest independent agency, told TTG it “carefully aligns” recruitment to meet its business needs.
Andy Bell, Hays Travel’s People Director, said: “As well as continuing to invest in key talent to join our retail branches and head office teams, we also plan to welcome over 250 apprentices to Hays Travel this summer.”
'Let's get on with it'
Welsh miniple Travel House, which was acquired by Hays Travel in 2023, is currently recruiting for Branch Managers, Assistant Managers, Travel Consultants and New to Travel Consultants.
Dorset-based homeworking agency, Travel Den, also recruits agents and admin staff in line with demand. Gillian Knight, Travel Den owner, said: “We have grown our team as our sales grown. We’ve had to recruit more admin staff along the way. We’re still very much on the increase.”
It is currently looking for a travel administrative assistant. “We’re doing brilliantly at the moment," Knight continued. "We were 250% up in May. March and April were a bit quieter as people were just sitting back and feeling a bit nervous and wondering what is going on with prices, but then we got to a point where people thought – 'let’s get on with it'."
Earlier this month, two-shop YourTravelClub confirmed it has resumed its recruitment plans due to a recent “upturn in business” after putting them on hold at the start of the Iran war.
YourTravelClub, which comprises two agencies – Swindon Travel Hub and Premium Cruises & Tours – is on the hunt for a new full-time travel consultant for the Premium Cruises & Tours shop in Cirencester.
You can find out more about home-based opportunities with Seaside Travel and more than 20 other agencies in TTG's Homeworking Hub.
