The good news came despite a drop in new candidate registrations and vacancies

The average new travel job in December came with a salary of £26,348 a rise of 1.9% on the previous month and the highest monthly total since April 2013.

The increase was driven by a strong rise in pay in the north of the UK. Typical wages in the area have now reached £23,175, the highest figure since May 2014.

The end of 2015 did see a monthly fall in standard travel salaries (roles paying up to £40,000), however the total of £22,472 remains the second highest figure since February 2013.

The figures come from the latest travel salary index from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment.

Barbara Kolosinska, director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment, said: “Salaries for new travel jobs broke through the £26,000 barrier in December and are now at their highest level since spring 2013, so there are clearly some very attractive wages on offer for candidates at the moment.

“In particular, the end of 2015 saw a big rise in salaries in the North, meaning now is a fantastic time for candidates in the area to look for a new role.”

In contrast to the very strong salary figures, both the number of new vacancies and candidate registrations fell significantly, dipping to their lowest points since December 2014 and December 2013, respectively.

Kolosinska said: “Even allowing for December, which is traditionally the weakest month of the year for recruitment, there was a disappointingly small number of new applicants last month.

"However, now that Christmas and the New Year are well behind us, we’re expecting more candidates to begin searching for new roles – especially considering the wages that are currently on offer.”