History of Tourism – Sex Tourism since 1950s | Per definition we speak of sex tourism when the main purpose of a vacation is to engage in sexual activity. First traces of such indecent doing on a massive scale can be found in Cuba and the Philippines in the 1950s …
Cuba’s reputation as an exotic playground for U.S. men already came to light in the late 1920s. The Caribbean country became a favorite destination for American robber barons, bohemians and playboys. Soon after U.S. celebrities and politicians flocked to Cuba for winter bouts of gambling, fucking, horse racing, golfing and country-clubbing. Finally, in the booming 1950s average Americans could effort a trip to Cuba. The island slowly transformed into one huge brothel, until Fidel Castro and Che Guevara abruptly stopped all that craziness. American sex tourists now have their focus on the Philippines, Dominica and Puerto Rico.
The Philippines became a hot spot for prostitution because of the involvement of U.S. troops in Asia during World War II. The existence of U.S. Army bases such as in Angeles City were the reason that the word about cheap beautiful Filipino women spread rapidly within the United States.
But neither Cuba nor the Philippines are among today’s top countries for sex tourism. The undisputed leader is Thailand. In Thailand, prostitution is very common and socially reinforced by the high value placed on sexual experience for men. Thai women want sexually experienced men as husbands. But guess what: Thai society also places a high value on sexual purity for women. Both factors combined create high demand for commercial sex workers. International sex tourists took advantage of this situation. Numbers are not really confirmed, but several sources estimate the amount of people directly involved in sex tourism in Thailand at 2.8 million. That includes 25,000 males and sadly enough also 800,000 minors under the age of 18.
Thai sex workers send an annual average of US$300 million to their family members. Hotels, restaurants and transportation services heavily depend on sex tourists. Approx. 4.5 million tourists come to Thailand each year specifically for sex. 20% of Thailand’s economic performance is fueled by sex tourism. 750,000 Thai people have AIDS.
Other popular destinations for sex tourists: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cambodia, Kenya.
Sex tourism since 1950s. By Chili and Churp | © International Destinations | Read more articles on the History of Tourism here: | Beginning of Leisure Tourism 1844 | Beginning of Winter Tourism 1860 | First Cruise Ship 1900 | Space Tourism since 2009 | Tourism in Antarctica | Forgotten Tourist Destinations | Most popular Countries for Tourists
