The increase in fuel duty will not hit travel jobs, according to travel recruiters.

In last week’s Budget the Chancellor announced that fuel duty would increase by 2p per litre from September and then by 1p a litre above inflation each April for the next four years.

But Nina Johnson-Bennett, managing director at Management Search Executive, told Recruiter that the increase’s impact will be negligible.

“The increase in fuel duty will most likely be passed on to the passenger in some shape or form along with some clever marketing; the government would have been well advised to put the increase off until next year.

“Its effect to the job market will minimal and make little impact on present trends.”

Ian Brooks, director at Gail Kenny Exec Search, adds: “The tax on fuel is less significant compared to the dramatic swings in the overall market price over the past year. Oil prices remain relatively low which is good news for airlines and the outbound travel industry as a whole.

“There was nothing in the budget for the travel industry, which is perhaps indicative of the industry’s inability to form an effective collective lobbying voice.”