The number of new candidates searching for travel roles increased by almost two thirds in the first month of 2026, according to the latest figures from C&M Travel Recruitment.
The company reported January searches for travel positions was up 62% compared to December 2025, and was the second highest in 20 months, just behind January 2025.
There was also an increase in new travel job vacancies last month, with a 61% rise from December. Despite this, January’s total dropped by 38% year-on-year.
Additionally, there was a decrease in the number of candidates being placed in new travel jobs last month, with a 9% drop from December 2025 and a 12% drop from January 2025.
Co-owner and Managing Director Barbara Kolosinska 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% 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.”
