This part of the industry generates over $20 billion in revenue. Sex tourism spans almost the entire globe with approximately 250,000 travelling internationally to engage in sex tourism with children and youth alone. Thailand was a close second with an estimated 75% of men, followed by Italy at 16.7–45%, Spain at 27–39%, Japan at 37%, the Netherlands at 13.5–21.6%, and the United States 15.0–20.0%. It found the highest rates were located in Cambodia, where 59–80% of men had paid for sex at least once.
Ī study conducted by the non-profit public charity ProCon, revealed the percentage of men who had paid for sex at least once in their lives between 19.
The most common destinations for these sex tourists is to visit less developed nations in Asia, such as: Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Nepal, as well as countries in Central and South America like Mexico or Brazil. Sex tourists generally come from developed regions such as the United States and Europe. Demographics ĭemographics include: female sex tourism (women seeking men), men seeking men, adults seeking children, and men seeking women.
Citizens of any foreign country must abide by the laws of the country in which they hold citizenship in addition to the local laws of the country they are visiting, including laws regarding consent. Even if prostitution is legal in a country or region, human trafficking, sexual encounters with a minor, and child pornography are almost universally criminal in nature and individuals caught breaking these laws can be prosecuted. Sex tourism as recognised by the CDC supports human trafficking and slavery. Individuals are not exempt from prosecution. For example, in Cambodia, the Cambodian government has previously overlooked tourists having sex with Cambodian adolescents. Government and law enforcement often do not place priority on policing prostitution and sex trafficking. While sex workers can engage voluntarily in the industry, there is a distinct difference between the coercion found in international sex trafficking and sex tourism which exploits the limited work options for low socioeconomic local residents. Įthical issues arise due to the situations of participating parties many sex workers are from low-income backgrounds usually located in underdeveloped societies whose only means for providing basic needs is to engage in sexual services. The market can become exceedingly exploitative and unethically abused as tourists are motivated to engage in sexual conduct due to the untraceable nature and lack of law enforcement control, especially with accessibility to minors. This particular industry of sex work is a predominant reason for world travel and is extremely profitable. Other popular destinations include Bulgaria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Peru, Fiji, Colombia, and Costa Rica. The countries popular for female sex tourism include Southern Europe (mainly in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal) the Caribbean (led by Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic) Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India (particularly Goa) and Phuket in Thailand) and the Gambia, Senegal and Kenya in Africa. A number of countries have become popular destinations for sex tourism, including Brazil, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands (particularly Amsterdam), Kenya, Colombia, Thailand, Cambodia, Cuba, and Indonesia (particularly Bali). Sex tourism is known as a multibillion-dollar industry that globally supports a workforce estimated in the millions, directly benefiting service industries such as the airline, taxi, restaurant and hotel industries. Sexual activities that involve children and minors are almost universally non-consensual and illegal. These groups and individuals are subject to the foreign prostitution laws of the destination's jurisdiction, often resulting in exploitation and abuse. The chief ethical concerns arise from: the economic gap between tourists and residents, the sexual trafficking of children and women and the parties taking advantage of the ability to engage with minors. Sex tourism is commonly regarded as a transnational challenge, as it can be seen to target marginalised demographics in developing nations, such as South East Asia and Brazil. The World Tourism Organization of the United Nations has acknowledged this industry is organised both within and outside the structured laws and networks created by them. This practice predominantly operates in countries where sex work is legal but there are countries where laws prohibit sex work. Sex tourism refers to the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money. Soi Cowboy, a red light district in Bangkok