A British holiday company has come up with a unique solution to help Brits banish the winter blues – a kit that allows customers to create ‘a beach’ in their living room.
easyJet Holidays has launched the ‘Beach-in-a-Box’ kit to bring the sun, sea and sand to housebound Brits in need of some escapism this Winter, as it reveals its findings on Brits’ longing for a sunshine escape during the colder months.
Former A Place In the Sun TV presenter Scarlette Douglas unveiled the self-assembly ‘home beach’ kit which includes 20kg of sand, a UVB lamp, a Mediterranean backdrop, an aroma diffuser, a pina colada cocktail kit and a wave sound simulator.
For those customers that don’t wish to cover their entire living room floor with sand – there’s also an inflatable sandpit.
The popular package holiday company hopes to help sun-starved Brits banish the January blues and conjure up some summer vibes with the immersive escape pack, drawing on smells, sounds and textures of a beach break while browsing the bargains on offer on the easyJet Holidays website.
Celebrating the Brits’ love affair with the sun, travel presenter Douglas was treated to the ultimate at home beach experience. The TV star sunk her toes into golden sand, sipped a pina colada and built a sandcastle from the comfort of her living room under the glowing warmth of a UVB sun lamp.
Scarlette Douglas, I’m A Celebrity contestant and holiday expert said: “I’m lucky to be able to frequently jet off to warmer climates and feel most at home with the sand between my toes. I loved testing out this innovative kit from easyJet Holidays – it’s the perfect antidote to the winter blues and almost as good as the real thing.”
The limited edition ‘Beach in a Box’ kit is available for just £19.99 from www.easyjet.com/en/holidays/campaigns/beach-in-a-box – but the cost is discounted from any future holiday booking with the operator.
The ‘Beach-in-a-Box’ includes:
A voucher for 20kg of sand and inflatable sandpit
A UVB lamp which simulates the kiss of Spanish sunshine
A vivid backdrop depicting a scenic Mediterranean coastline
An aroma diffuser conjuring the scents of an olive grove
A pina colada cocktail kit
A plug-in and play wave sound simulator
Research by the company reveals that during dark winter months, Brits long for beautiful European beaches and the curative powers of the sun. The study found that two thirds (64%) of adults suffer from the January blues with 61% finding themselves longing for a beach break.
This longing is hindering workplace productivity. Half of workers admit to planning their holidays on company time. Over the last 12 months they racked up an average of 65 hours researching vacations at work, getting paid while choosing where to spend it. They also spent a further 17 hours a year chatting about holiday planning with co-workers. However, there are risks as 10% confessed to being caught browsing by the boss.
When it comes to the things Brits miss most about a beach break, the sensation of warm sun on their skin topped the list [40%], followed by taking in beautiful scenery [35%] and listening to the soothing sounds of crashing waves [30%]. These sensory elements are replicated in the Beach-in-a-Box kit.
The study also revealed that it has been 175 days since the average Brit last enjoyed a lounge in sunny climes. Even worse, two in 10 say they haven’t holidayed abroad for more than a year.
The research concluded that the average Brit spends 3,332 hours a year dreaming about getaways.
Paul Bixby easyJet Holidays’ Commercial Director said: “Our fun DIY beach kit has been designed to help people dream about the joy of holidays during the darker and colder months. January is a gloomy time for Brits, so we can’t wait to see the pictures of at-home beaches while customers plan their holidays and book bargains in our Big Orange Sale.”
easyJet Holiday’s Big Orange Sale, offers travellers up to £300 off all package holidays to European hotspots. To grab a bargain, holidaymakers need to simply use the code ORANGESALE at easyJet.com/holidays when booking before 11pm on Thursday 2 February 2023.
The tour operator offers holidays departing right up to the end of October 2024 to over 5000 hotels, across 100 destinations. All packages include flights, accommodation, 23kg luggage per person, and transfers on beach holidays.
