Sex Tourism: Moral Dilemma
Author: Janina Grabelnikova
2 Commentries
Sex Tourism: Moral Dilemma
Author: Janina Grabelnikova
University: University of Wolverhampton
Abstract:
The aim and purpose of the paper is to analyse and define sex tourism industry as a whole, and to identify the key advantages and disadvantages of the industry that affect the political, economic and social aspects of the countries or destinations involved. The main question and argument of the paper is the moral dilemma that arises when governments have to fight the consequences that sex tourism industry brings to specific countries, while being one of the main income sources and an important factor which contributes to the economic situation within the country.
Keywords:
Prostitution, HIV, Human Trafficking
Discussion Paper:
Sex tourism can be traced back to many hundreds of years ago, when travellers and merchandisers have travelled between the ancient empires to sell goods. The first brothels were operating and established already back then, when men had to pay, usually with goods, for the sexual pleasures with the women. However, sex tourism was defined only in 20th century. Sex tourism involves an act of tourists travelling to different countries in order to fulfil a sexual act with the individuals or residents of the destination with the primary purpose of getting pleasure and paying for it (Opperman, 1998). The major boom and development of the industry is considered to be late 60s and 70s of the last century when world has finally recovered after the devastations of the wars, and when technological developments have improved the ways and distances of travel, for example, now long distance flights were available, and the infrastructures were rebuild and improved. The technological improvements in the world have caused major interest of people to see the world and explore unknown for various reason. This could be learning, visiting, sightseeing, treatment purposes, and much more (Lofgren, 1999). However, there were some negative and wrong reasons to do so as well. As the world became much reachable, there was an instant interest in countries of the exotic nature, usually the ones with poor economies and cheap standards of living (Harrison, 2001). The people of the 1st world countries saw an amazing opportunity for a holiday where they could spend less while vacating and gaining more of an experience than anywhere else in the world. Such interest became a crucial and important economic development for the countries vacating the people, because now there was an enormous opportunity to get recognition and profit from the tourism (Page, 2001). By becoming a cheap and exotic tourism destination, country or area involved, has turn it’s people into the victims of a terrible criminal world which continues to grow every day – sex tourism. People whose lives and living standards have been in terrible condition, now have seen an opportunity of gaining easy money, where they didn’t have to work long hours for little pay. Now many women and men have seen an opportunity of “selling†their bodies to foreign “rich†people in order to survive (Clift & Carter, 2000). Nevertheless, women and men were not the only people involved, with the lack of education, stability and support of authorities and families, many kids were forced or tricked into prostitution and street gangs (Bishop, 1998). Where there are gangs, prostitution and criminal activity there are always drugs (Pisticelli, 2007), which are given to people in order to numb the feelings or become completely disoriented and become less vulnerable and accessible for others to use (Monzini, 2005). The criminal activity surrounded by drugs and prostitution is an enormous source of income for the people responsible, the number of people dying in Latin America, Asia or Eastern Europe continues to grow as the gangs continue to become more powerful and have a way of dealing with authorities. The least important fact is the spread of the HIV virus and, many other STDs that people continue to give one another by being uneducated, reckless, drunk or selfish (Lomborg, 2012). The last and most terrible activity surrounding sex tourism is human trafficking, where many women and men are being abducted for the purposes of being sold as sexual slaves to other countries (Monzini, 2005). The most terrifying things is that this criminal world continues to expand because there are people who busy such services, and these are the people who come from educated and stable world, these are the people who contribute to one of the biggest crimes committed towards a human being. However, governments are to blame as well, as they continue to shut their eyes upon the evil surrounding their nations and people as they are getting paid, and as it turns out to be in a poor world, if you are getting paid it becomes easier to commit the crime.
References:
Brown, L. (2001), Sex slaves: the trafficking of women in Asia,Virago, London.
Harrison, (2001) Tourism and the Less Developed World: Issues and Case Studies. Cabi Publishing, Trowbridge.
Monzini, P. (2005) Sex Traffic: Prostitution, Crime, and Exploitation. Zed, London