Sex tourism

Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.

The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination".[1] The U.N. opposes sex tourism citing health, social and cultural consequences for both tourist home countries and destination countries, especially in situations exploiting gender, age, social and economic inequalities in sex tourism destinations.[1][2][3]

While sex tourism can refer to a variety of commercial sexual activities, agencies and academics sometimes also use the terms: adult sex tourism, child sex tourism and female sex tourism to refer to different kinds of sex tourism.[citation needed] Attractions for sex tourists can include reduced costs for services in the destination country, along with either legal prostitution or indifferent law enforcement and access to child prostitution.

Several countries have become preferred destinations for sex tourists. These include Thailand,[4] Brazil,[5][6] Sri Lanka,[7][8][9] Dominican Republic,[10][11] Costa Rica,[12][13] Cuba,[14][15] and Kenya,[16]

An individual city or region can have a particular reputation as a sex tourist destination. Many of these coincide with major red-light districts, and include Amsterdam in the Netherlands; Zona Norte in Tijuana, Mexico; Boy's Town in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil; Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand; Vladivostok in Russian Far East; Kherson, Odessa, Crimea in Ukraine; destination for Asian sex tourists [17], and Angeles City[18], the site of a former United States military base in the province of Pampanga, Philippines.

In the United States, prostitution is largely illegal, with the exception of certain areas of the state of Nevada. (In Rhode Island prostitution was outlawed in 2009).

Conversely, prostitution is a legal activity in a number of other nations worldwide, including in many (but not all) of these destinations.

Generally, it is not illegal for an adult to travel to engage in a sexual activity with an adult prostitute, in similar circumstances as would apply to local prostitution. However, when the sexual activity involves child prostitution, is non-consensual or involves sex trafficking, it is generally illegal.

Adult sex tourism includes domestic sex tourism, ie. travel within the same country. International adult sex tourism involves travel across national borders. It is a multibillion dollar industry that supports an international workforce estimated to number in the millions. [19] It has been argued by some people that adult sex tourism benefits not only the sex industry but also the airline, taxi, restaurant and hotel industries.[20] Human Rights organizations warn that sex tourism contributes to human trafficking and child prostitution.[21]

University of Leicester sociologists studied this subject as part of a research project for the Economic and Social Research Council and End Child Prostitution and Trafficking campaign. The study included interviews with over 250 Caribbean sex tourists.[43][44] Among their findings:

Preconceptions about race and gender influenced their opinions.
Economically underdeveloped tourist-receiving countries are promoted as being culturally different so that (in the Western tourist's understanding) prostitution and traditional male domination of women have less stigma than similar practices might have in their home countries.
The study received heavy criticism as it failed to address female sex tourism. The phenomenon of cultural difference could equally apply to the prostitution of disadvantaged local males to rich western women. Thus, the whole interpretation of sex tourism as being dependent on male domination of women could actually be the domination of the rich over the poor of whatever sex. This is especially true in the Caribbean, which is well often consider a focal point for female sex tourism.