Sex Tourism
Sex tourism is travel for the purpose of having or purchasing sex. Sex tourism can occur between countries or cities, and is no longer exclusively understood as Western men traveling to developing nations since local commercial sex markets are becoming more and more accessible in developed nations. Criminal facilitators of sex tourism tap into the same vulnerabilities of local girls and women that they use to entrap and enslave women from overseas.
Focus on Cambodia...
Child sex tourism has received increasing international media attention as a pressing social problem in Cambodia. Sex tourism in Asia has increased dramatically in recent years and Cambodia is considered one of its top destinations. Most of today’s organized sex tours originate from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the US, Japan and South Korea. However, the internet has pushed the industry to a new level. It is estimated that US-based websites advertising sex tourism bring in over $150 million each per year.
Focus on the United States...
The PROTECT Act, passed in 2003, makes it illegal for U.S. citizens or residents to engage in sex with minors overseas. Recent reports on sex tourism also indicate that men in the US are no longer only traveling overseas for sex, but often travel to large U.S. cities where sex is available for purchase.
