Sex tourism around the world

On the African continent Gambia, Senegal and Kenya are the leading destinations currently documented.

The cases in the selected countries are not quite the same. In some, sex tourism is completely a legal business while in others it is not.

Dominican Republic

Many Caribbean countries are seeing a rise in sex tourism, especially female sex tourism, and the Dominican Republic is no exception. It is estimated that anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 women work in the sex trade in the Dominican Republic, and many cross over from Haiti as well.

Prostitution is not illegal in the Dominican Republic, although sex with minors is, and sadly many of the sex workers here are minors.

Cambodia, on the other hand, has strict laws regarding prostitution, but the practice is still extremely relevant. Cambodia’s rocky history caused laws regarding prostitution to rise and fall in varying degrees of severity.

Stricken by debilitating poverty, parents sometimes sell their children into sex slavery, while others are tricked into the industry. A child’s virginity is often extremely valuable and will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The Netherlands

Amsterdam is the top spot for sex tourism in the Netherlands, thanks to its infamous red light district. The red light district is popular for both standard tourists and sex tourists alike, and sex shops, peep shows, strip clubs and countless prostitutes selling their wares behind red-lit glass windows abound.

Prostitution is legal and well regulated in Amsterdam, which arguably creates safer conditions for sex workers.

Philippines

Although prostitution is illegal and often comes with harsh punishments in the Philippines, the sex tourism trade is alive and well. There are approximately 500,000 sex workers who masquerade as bar girls in the Philippines, and most clients are businessmen from East Asia or Western countries.

Filipinos tend to be extremely tolerant of diverse lifestyles, which may be one reason why prostitution and sex tourism have flourished in the Philippines.

Colombia

Many of the countries listed here are located in Southeast Asia, but Colombia, renowned for its opulent drug lords, is located in South America and is another hot spot for sex tourism.

Word on the street is that many Colombian sex workers will lower their prices if the client is attractive and a good negotiator, which may be why the country is so popular when it comes to sex tourism.

Indonesia

Indonesia is another country that has a problem with child sex trafficking. Sex tourism exploits and furthers this problem, despite the fact that prostitution is legally considered a ‘crime against decency and morality.’

Sex workers can be found in traditional brothels, but one thing that sets the sex tourism industry in Indonesia apart is the popularity of online sex forums and prostitution rings that exist through social media.

The availability of sex workers via the internet allows for ratings and facilitates the process of finding a prostitute.

Spain

Cities like Ibiza, Madrid and Barcelona have long been tourist destinations for all night clubbing, but a new kind of tourist activity is starting to increase in Spain. Prostitution is legal in Spain, making it one of the top destinations in Europe for sex tourism.

In Madrid, the red light district is interwoven with regular streets, so it’s very accessible, whereas in Barcelona, the red light district is a popular tourist attraction. Surprisingly, there are often more South American sex workers present in Spain than Spanish sex workers.

Brazil

Brazil has always been a popular tourist destination due to its exotic wildlife, beautiful people, pristine beaches and raucous festivals like Carnival. But it appears that Brazil might be vying for the number one spot for sex tourism as well. Additionally, it is a popular destination for female sex tourism, which generally doesn’t see rates as high as male sex tourism.

Prior to the World Cup in 2014, Brazil’s government has been especially watchful for sex tourism and sex trafficking but the thriving sex trade doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Thailand

It’s no surprise that Thailand is on the top of this list, considering the popularity of Bangkok’s red light district and portrayals of it in films like The Hangover Part II. Laws against prostitution in Thailand are hazy and the country has a bit of a reputation for its sexually permissive nature.

Many Thai people believe that prostitution and tolerating other’s lifestyles are a necessary part of Thai culture, so the ‘oldest profession in the world’ has flourished here, including the famous ‘ladyboys’.

This final leg of the discourse on sex tourism looks at how the practise plays out in some places around the world.