British expats are finding romance as well as a new life when they move abroad, according to a survey.
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Half of British expats told researchers for HSBC’s latest Expat Explorer survey that they ended up falling in love with a new partner on their travels.
The study also found finding love was an unexpected bonus for expats from other countries as well.
Top of the list came the romantic Italians, with 57% of expats falling in love with they moved abroad.
The reserved Brits were the next most likely expats to add some sparkle to their lives with romance.
Brazilian romance
Other expats open to affairs of the heart are the Russians and Chinese (49%), the Dutch (48%) and Thais (46%).
On average of the more than 9,000 expats quizzed about their love lives, 36% confirmed they had found a new life partner since making their move abroad.
One British expat who found love on his travels was Oliver Jones.
Oliver spent some time working as a petrochemicals engineer in Brazil, where he bumped into fiancée Mariana in a bar in the city of Curitiba.
“I was proud that I was looking for the real Brazil, so spent my time seeking out the places that were off the tourist trail,” Oliver said.
“I was not looking for a partner and was out one night in a bar watching football. I don’t know why Mariana was there, but I’m glad she was.
“After three months we moved in together and she showed me around and we had a fantastic time staying in some small guest houses near some stunning beaches.”
Finding a partner
Since 2008, Oliver has been an ‘on the road’ expat contractor, but after his wedding to Marianna, he intends to come back to the UK to settle.
Most expats do not move overseas in a desperate hunt for love, said an HSBC spokesman, but sometimes find romance can strike out of the blue.
“If expats are open to finding out by the local culture and embrace a more open lifestyle away from their own national social groups anything can happen,” said the spokesman.
“Oliver is just one of many expats who told us about the new love in his life that he would never have met had he not chosen to move and work overseas.
“Although he plans to return to Britain with his new bride, many expats stay overseas and integrate with their new families.”
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