Sex Tourism In The Caribbean

Despite its illegal status, the sex tourism industry has become a major source of commerce in several regions of the world, such as Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Beyond the economic aspect of sex tourism, gender and gender relations constitute highly disturbing and troublesome features within the sex industry, namely the highly gendered “double standard” associated with the industry’s participants, that is, sex workers and their patrons. Throughout the years, gender studies have been consistent in their criticism of prostitution at home and abroad. It has been emphasized that only too frequently the foreign nation’s cultural interests and economic status encourage acts of prostitution; therefore, public policy enables and protects industries

Sex workers engage in the role of the traditional male in order to appeal to the female tourists, especially in areas such as Jamaica and Barbados. As analysts observe, “a beach boy in Barbados is able to demonstrate his skills of strength and knowledge in his role of tour guide and escort since the female tourist also allows him to be ‘a man’ and to adopt a dominate role in the relationship” (Padilla 41). In addition to public admiration, this image of the tiguere combined with normative constructs of masculinity is particularly appealing to foreign women. Moreover, tourist women, receptive to this appeal, encourage further the social constructs of the lower class Caribbean

According to Bishop, the sites of operation of the sex tourism business in Southeast Asia is assessed by the same standards as multinational industries of the world. Sex is sold almost everywhere in cities such as Bangkok, and “in addition to classic brothels –many of them camouflaged as teahouses, barber shops, or beauty salons- there are massage parlors and all sorts of bars: plain pickup spots, dance clubs, go-go bars” (Bishop 7). In contrast to the “beachside” Caribbean sex industry, Southeast Asian patterns of sexual commerce, and this includes centrally Thailand, maintains a carefully constructed professional demeanor of Southeast Asian sex workers which involves 5,622 sites of operation, the 76,863 prostitutes, and the great support to other business ventures Thailand receives quarterly (Bishop