A winter hotspot tops the destination charts as almost 50,000 people prepare to get away during Christmas and New Year.

Bosses at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) say Tenerife is the most popular place as holidaymakers go in search of sun this festive season.

Average temperatures on the island in the Canaries can reach more than 26C (80F) in December and January compared to the miserable weather at home.

It is in stark contrast to the second most popular destination on the list, Geneva, where festive snow and wintry scenes top the holidaymakers’ wish lists.

Thousands of skiers and snowboarders will also head to resorts across Switzerland, Austria, France and Italy, while the city of Krakow in Poland is the third most popular destination.

Other places in the top ten include Belfast, Alicante, Amsterdam, Malaga, Lanzarote, Venice and Fuerteventura as 48,000 people will leave the airport during the Christmas and New Year period.

Tony Hallwood, commercial director at LBA, said: “Thanks to a wide range of leisure and city break destinations available from Yorkshire’s gateway airport, passengers will be able to take advantage of some fantastic offers available over Christmas and the New Year.

“Domestic routes are also popular for those visiting friends and family over the festive period.

“We also anticipate an increase in the number of inbound tourists visiting Yorkshire to sample the region’s famous hospitality and beautiful scenery.”

Last year, the airport saw about 40,000 passengers fly out during the Christmas and New Year period, with Tenerife, Dublin and Poland as the top spots.

Meanwhile, ABTA, The Travel Association, estimates that 4.25 million Britons will be heading overseas this Christmas and New Year period, compared to under four million in 2010.

The peak travel days are predicted to be today and tomorrow, with sun still the priority for most with companies reporting good trade on flights and hotel bookings in the Canary Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

e-mail: jon.redhead@telegraphandargus.co.uk

  • The top 10 getaways:

1 Tenerife 2 Geneva 3 Krakow 4 Belfast 5 Alicante 6 Amsterdam 7 Malaga 8 Lanzarote 9 Venice 10 Fuerteventura