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UK business and leisure travel agents remain optimistic about bookings despite the poor economic outlook, according to a survey by Amadeus, a travel technology and distribution system firm.

The majority of both business and leisure agents feel that the credit squeeze did not impact on sales in March.

Business agents were more adamant of this fact with 44% declaring the crunch did not affect sales. Some 29% of leisure agents echoed this, according to the a recent online poll among UK business and leisure travel agents conducted by Amadeus.

However, 31% of leisure agents did feel the prevailing US economic climate was being felt in the UK. Of those leisure agents who were seeing a downswing, 30% said it amounted to a 10-19% fall in sales. Some 31% of business agents who registered a chill factor from the US said bookings were down, but only by 5-9%.

Amadeus director of marketing Elaine Seeto said: "It is heartening that confidence remains high among the travel agency community despite the "doom and gloom" of recent headlines. With many travel agents now looking to diversify their revenue streams, Amadeus is responding by developing easier ways to book non-air product."

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