Tykes dreaming of sun and sand to beat the January blues

For all the natural beauty of the Broad Acres, many people have one eye on Italy’s spectacular Amalfi coastline, the Costa Brava and other sunny destinations to put the Yorkshire winter firmly behind them later this year.

The research also shows more than a quarter of people admit to having the January blues and that almost half of them have resolved to do something positive to cheer themselves up.

The most common causes given for being down in the dumps in a survey of 2,000 people were the cold and wet weather, darker nights with reduced sunshine and depleted bank balances after the festive period.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive Steve Heapy said: “We conducted this survey to see how the nation was feeling this January and to help find ways to bring a little sunshine to those feeling under the weather – something we specialise in here at Jet2holidays.

“For two thirds of people surveyed, having a beach holiday to look forward to will help them feel motivated. This is reflected in the fact that January is our busiest time of the year for holiday bookings.

“We take great pride in offering our customers a fantastic choice of 51 dream destinations. And with 2016 being our biggest summer yet, with our first flights jetting off to brand new destinations Girona and the Amalfi coast, I’m sure we will continue to put smiles on our customers’ faces.”

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ parent company, Dart Group, smashed revenue records in the first half of last year and and the company, which employs 4,000 people, many of whom are based in West Yorkshire, is rolling out ambitious expansion plans with its biggest holiday programme in 2016.