Sex Tourism and the Internet

Sex Tourism and the Internet

SEX TOURISM AND THE INTERNET
The Internet as the Facilitator and Virtual Site















BY:
Concepcion, Angelo
Imbao, Judy


INTRODUCTION

A.   Background  
The developing countries have welcomed tourism as one of the most important net earners.   Tourism is praised for its ability to create employment opportunities for most countries.   But not all in tourism is lucrative.   With the growth of this industry comes the growth of the darker façade of tourism - sex tourism.
This is not a new trend.   History reveals that among early journeys that were enhanced by sexual festivities were the “Grand Tours,” trips taken across Europe by young aristocratic men and women during the 18th and 19th centuries in order to broaden their understanding of culture and the arts.   These aristocrats complemented their cultural experiences with that of a sexual nature through relationships with people they met on their travel.  
Sex tourism involves tourists travelling partially or fully for the purpose of engaging in sexual activities.   Sex tourism falls together with prostitution under a more general category of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation happens when one person (or persons) receives sex or money through abusing another person’s sexuality. It is one of the oldest travel motivators. The development of the industry is founded in three factors (Enloe, 1989). The first is a poverty-stricken population, which encourages women to participate voluntarily or forcibly in the sex industry. The second is Western male tourists who have been socialized into seeing women in developing countries as quintessential exotic temptresses. Finally, there are political and economic institutions and businesses that encourage men to travel to countries specifically to consume sexual services.
The Philippines is one of the favored destinations of sex tourists from Europe and United States, together with Thailand, Cambodia and India.   According to Rene...