To the “sex tourism” it is often presented as harmful, criminal and causing the exploitation of women or minors of either sex. It's not always like that, necessarily. Although it is supposed to be more frequent in certain places, having a modicum of sincerity, it cannot be denied that it is something that happens all over the world.
One way or the other, sex tourism is an industry that moves millions of dollars, with legions of sex workers around the world. We must distinguish when the practice is legal or illegal, which will be determined by local laws, if it is a consensual practice or if minors are affected.
It must be differentiated within the countries: In the United States, Salt Lake City (Utah, dominated by strict religious) is not the same as Las Vegas, known as "The City of Sin." In other words, it is an extremely delicate and complex issue.
Surely any of our escort friends They have treated several foreigners, but that is not why one can speak of "sex tourism"; It is not about a traveler who decides to have a "joy" away from home to loosen tensions; it must be an activity with many customary participants, with leaders, and with some state interaction, either tolerating it or openly permitting it.
Where is it most common?
As we said, there are places where it is more common and is considered a first-rate economic activity. Supposedly they are:
sex tourism andn South America:
- Dominican Republic: There prostitution is legal; there are between 60,000 and 100,000 Dominican women who work in the sex trade in this small Caribbean nation.
- Brazil: There would be more than 3,500 Internet sites promoting sex tourism in the South American giant. Rio is “The City of Singles”, because of how difficult it is to be monogamous there, they say. “Unforgettable erotic vacations in the beautiful and enchanting Rio de Janeiro, the southeast coast of one of the most sexually festive countries in the world.”, read. There the authorities do not promote prostitution, and close various portals. But it is useless; Rio de Janeiro sex tourism thrives and increases its worldwide fame.
sex tourism andn Europe:
- Spain: Also in this country so close to us culturally and affectively, prostitution is legal, and many cities have their “red light district”. The most popular are those of the cities with the greatest influx of tourism: Madrid and Barcelona, with a large participation of Latin American sex workers.
- Czech Republic: With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the capital of this nation (Prague) formerly under the Soviet Union, has become a magnet for tourism that travels through Europe in search of carnal pleasures. Prostitution is legal there, but not if it is organized in networks. The police estimate that there are more than 860 brothels in the Republic, of which 200 are in Prague. There are brothels on the routes to Austria and Germany, and for some tourists from those countries on weekend trips to Prague, visits to erotic establishments are also included. There are some 200 prostitution service websites based there, for sex tourists to book services before they arrive.
Sex tourism in Asia:
- Thailand: Bangkok is the city that receives the most sex tourism per year in the world. For its inhabitants, prostitution is not a crime but a “cultural tool”. In Thailand there would be more than 3 million "sex workers". And (we have a problem here, at least according to our Western idiosyncrasies) most of them are minors.
Conclusion:
Leaving aside the possible criminal aspects of this activity (which, let us remember, will depend on the legislation of each country), sex tourism cannot be considered too different from adventure, cultural or oenological tourism, or gastronomy.
In all cases, it always means discovering and experiencing new sensations, accessing what is not available (or is prohibited) in the travelers' place of origin. And for many countries the sexual tourism they receive is as important as for others it is the one that arrives thanks to its gastronomic or scenic, cultural or architectural attractions.