What is Sex Tourism?

Have you ever heard of "sex tourism?" Sex tourism is travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, usually to a place where sex work is legal. Here in the United States, any kind of sex work is criminalized. In many other countries, however, it is not. Here in America, places where people are known to be conducting sex work is sometimes called an "open air prostitution market," a  deplorable term that adds to the dehumanization of the people who are there either by choice or force. Other places, they are more likely called a "red-light district." Oxford Languages defines a red-light as "an area of a town or city containing many brothels, strip clubs, and other sex businesses." Some of the most popular countries to visit for sex tourism include Germany, Spain, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, and Thailand.

While certainly sex tourism has become a part of the economy in some of these places, it has incredibly harmful effects. The biggest one is that it supports and spreads human trafficking. A common misconception is that anybody who is involved in sex work most likely is there of their own accord. This is not always the case, particularly in areas that experience poverty. Those who are working in sex tourism often experience physical, emotional, and psychological abuse at the hands of their "customers," and can experience higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases. If they are in a poorer area, they can also experience things like malnourishment and homelessness. And where there is human trafficking, there is also often a higher risk of substance abuse.

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