Many travelers are looking for sexual adventures – and are willing to pay for it. Minors are victims as well; however, many tourist destinations shy away from addressing this issue. Experts underscore that sex tourism is a very varied phenomenon found in almost every country in the world. Even though the usual “traditional” picture of sex tourism is associated with the exploitation of women by men, little attention is paid to the growing popularity of the opposite phenomenon, when women exploit men.
John Mac Ghlionn makes a big accusation against women that they behave ‘like men’ when they develop female sex tourism. First of all, the question arises of how this generally differs from men’s and whether it is so bad if this phenomenon exists. There is an opinion that the sex industry, including sex tourism, should either be condemned and fought on both sides or not choose ‘favorites.’ The author also emphasizes this “Why should we consider male sex tourism and female sex tourism as completely different entities? We shouldn’t.” (Ghlionn). On the other hand, many women, speaking up for their rights and equality in general, do not want to fall under the so-called ‘male’ behavior, so the developing female sex tourism is condemned more than males. I do not consider there is a reason to divide it into male and female, so I agree with the author since the essence remains the same: people are looking for physical contact and go where it is offered.
I think the author made a more significant rebuke towards women who don’t want to accept sex tourism for what it is. The article’s author emphasizes that women believe that “sexuality is always dirty for men, but empowering for women,” who tend to romanticize it (Ghlionn). They spend their holidays under the romantic banner of getting to know the country, the local population, and its customs. If something arises, only feelings are to blame for everything, in their opinion.
Especially in tourism, we deal with a substantial economic gap between travelers and the local population. It is unethical to use the resulting economic dependence. In the article, the author also raises the topic of racism, caused by the fact that people mostly prefer developing countries if the purpose of their trip is to establish sexual contact. Ghlionn says there is a “racial element” to aging white women seeking sex in Third World countries such as Gambia (Ghlionn). The article emphasizes that the entire sex business is the last resort for those who live below the poverty line and are ready to take desperate steps to make their lives at least a little better. Women, like men, go to places where people are unlikely to say ‘no’ to them.
Another aspect not taken into account by those who use sex services of any kind is mental health: sex work is associated with various emotional burdens. Everyday stresses include conflicts with clients, pimps, partners, and the police, violence, abuse, social discrimination, and stigmatization. At the end of the article, Ghlionn highlights that sex workers, both male, and female, struggle with anxiety, depression, and discrimination. In general, when referring to sex tourism as a dirty ‘male’ occupation, few people consider that the sex industry rarely pays attention to the workers themselves. Discrimination occurs both in the very concept of female or male sex tourism and concerning workers.
Work Cited
Ghlionn, John Mac. “The Rise of Female Sex Tourism.” The Rio Times, 2022.