Former Tory leadership contender Rory Stewart says he’s ‘incredibly optimistic’ about travel and tourism, despite the economic challenges facing the UK.

Speaking at the ABTA Convention in Marrakech, the author and former MP said there was more and more appetite for travel.

“If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t be betting on the property industry, I’d be betting on the travel industry.”

He said clients are getting more and more sophisticated, adding: “I think we are entering a golden age of travel.”

Mr Stewart, who unsuccessfully challenged Boris Johnson for the leadership of the Conservative Party, said that, thanks to education and investment, the travel industry can offer clients much better experiences in countries like Morocco than he had when he visited 30 years ago.

The former Minister for Africa also pointed out that tourism is the biggest driver of economic growth in countries such as Kenya.

“These countries have unspoilt nature, traditions and crafts that don’t exist in other countries, and this positions them very, very well for being at the front of a new kind of travel, of luxury, high-end and adventure travel,” he said.