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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] 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.
[edit] DestinationsSeveral countries have become preferred destinations for sex tourists. These include Thailand,[2] Brazil,[3][4] Sri Lanka,[5][6][7] Dominican Republic,[8][9] Costa Rica,[10][11] Cuba,[12][13] and Kenya,[14] 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 [15], and Angeles City[16], the site of a former United States military base in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. [edit] Adult sex tourismGenerally, 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.[17] 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.[18] Human Rights organizations warn that sex tourism contributes to human trafficking and child prostitution.[19] [edit] Female sex tourismMain article: Female sex tourism The main destinations for female sex tourists are Southern Europe (mainly Italy, Greece, Croatia , Turkey, Slovenia, Montenegro and Spain), the Caribbean (led by Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic), parts of Africa (Tunisia, Gambia, Kenya [20]), Bali,[21] and Pattaya or Phuket in Thailand. Other destinations include Nepal, Morocco, Fiji, Ecuador and El Salvador.[22] An estimated 650,000 Western women have engaged in sex tourism from 1980 to the present, many of them as repeat customers.[23] By some estimates, 80,000 North American and European women visit Jamaica every year for sex.[24] [edit] Child sex tourismMain article: Child sex tourism Child sex tourism is a criminal multi-billion-dollar industry believed to involve as many as 2 million children around the world.[25] In an effort to eradicate the practice, many countries have enacted laws to allow prosecution of its citizens for child abuse that occurs outside their home country, even if it is not against the law in the country where the child abuse took place. Numerous tourists from the Western World travel to impoverished countries to engage in sex with children. Child sex tourism has been closely linked to poverty.[26] In Latin America and Southeast Asia, for instance, street children often turn to prostitution as a last resort. Additionally, vulnerable children are easy targets for exploitation by traffickers.[27] Thailand, Cambodia, India, Brazil and Mexico have been identified as leading hotspots of child sexual exploitation. [28] In Thailand, the exact number of child-prostitutes is not known, but Thailand’s Health System Research Institute reports that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand [29]. In Cambodia, it has been estimated that about a third of all prostitutes are under 18 [30] [31]. In India, the federal police say that around 1.2 million children are believed to be involved in prostitution [32]. Brazil is considered to have the worst child sex trafficking record after Thailand. [33] UNICEF notes that sexual activity is often seen as a private matter, making communities reluctant to act and intervene in cases of sexual exploitation.[34] These attitudes make children far more vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Most exploitation of children takes place as a result of their absorption into the adult sex trade where they are exploited by local people and sex tourists.[34] The Internet provides an efficient global networking tool for individuals to share information on destinations and procurement.[34] In cases involving children, the U.S. has relatively strict domestic laws that hold accountable any American citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. who travels abroad for the purpose of engaging in illicit conduct with a minor.[34] However, child pornography, sex tourism and human trafficking remain fast-growing industries.[34] Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ recently introduced H.R. 1623, the International Megan's law. Similar to the domestic Megan's Law (named after Megan Kanka of New Jersey), which provides for community notification when a sex offender is living in the area, H.R. 1623 would alert officials abroad when U.S. sex offenders intend to travel, and likewise encourage other countries to keep sex offender lists and to notify the U.S. when a known sex offender may be coming to the United States for sex tourism.[34] While there are serious problems with the current domestic sex offenders’ registry, human rights organizations such as ECPAT and UNICEF believe this would be a step in the right direction.[34] [edit] Academic studyUniversity 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.[35][36] Among their findings:
[edit] Opposition to sex tourismHuman Rights organizations warn that sex tourism contributes to human trafficking and child prostitution.[37] 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][38][39] Sex tourism is also condemned because prostitution itself is seen by many as a form of sexual exploitation and of violence against women. Such views on prostitution are especially strong in Scandinavia--in Sweden, Norway and Iceland it is illegal to pay for sex, but not to be a prostitute (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute), as these countries consider all forms of prostitution to be exploitative. [edit] DocumentariesCanadian film makers have been active at reporting on sex tourism. Documentary titles include:
[edit] See also
Born into Brothels [edit] References
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