Expats Flood Home for London Olympics

Expat Globe

A recent survey by expat banking experts Lloyds TSB International suggests that British expats will be travelling home for the Olympics in massive numbers.

The figures state that a 385,000 expatriates will be back in Britain which represents a staggering 7% of the total population of British citizens abroad.

Another interesting result from the study was that a third of Britons felt more patriotic since moving abroad which should mean more support for British athletes at the Olympic Games.

Many expat Brits will be timing their annual trip home to coincide with the London Olympics but fears over how the city will cope with the influx of visitors may act as a deterrent to some.

Richard Musty, director of expatriate banking at Lloyds, said “2012 is a monumental year for the United Kingdom. With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and now the London Olympics, Britain is at the centre of the world stage.

“While there are many things that expats prefer about living overseas, many identify strongly with their home country, some more strongly than when they lived here. Seeing Britain on show throughout the world is a huge source of pride, and it speaks volumes that so many are coming back to see the Olympics.”

Lloyds created its figures using a sample survey of over 1,000 Britons in 10 popular expat locations.