Can a Holiday Romance Ever Work Out?

There's a lot of misunderstanding about holiday romances; not all foreign men and women are out to exploit the people they meet. And, of course, the opposite is true. As Westerners travel further and further to more exotic places, there's often the charge that men and women are taking advantage of local people. For example, large numbers of men travel to Thailand with the express purpose of meeting poor young women and striking up a sexual relationship. And there's even an industry that's sprouted up around this with a number of bars and hotels set up to cater for this demand. While many older Western women travel to places such as Ghana and Morocco for sexual relationships with younger men.

There are those who would never entertain the idea of starting up a romance while on holiday but, for some, having a fling is all part of the vacation package. But for those who try to pursue a romance beyond the holiday period, the reality can be something of a disappointment.

Jill met Stefan while on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps. "He looked so sexy in his ski suit. We ended up spending a blissful week together and he seemed as keen as I was to keep in touch - more so. So we arranged that I would visit him for a weekend a few weeks later. Well, I did go to see him - and he was awful! He was a jerk. I spent the weekend avoiding him and couldn't wait to go home. He wrote to me for weeks afterwards before finally giving up."

But for Samantha, her holiday fling in Greece had a much happier outcome. She met Georgiou while on holiday with some girlfriends. The pair kept in touch and he visited her home in San Francisco. Now the couple are married with two children and run a restaurant in Greece.

Tips for making a long distance relationship work

Be honest - have you really met your soul mate or was it the sun and sangria talking? An honest appraisal of your relationship will save you a lot of heartache - and money.

Get Skype - the software is free to download and drastically reduces the cost of international phone calls. So now you can talk to each other to your hearts' content.

Is language a barrier? Make an effort and learn your beloved's language. Communication is the only way to really get to know someone.