Recently at Cannes film festival, the movie Paradise: Love was premiered, which explores the nature of the female sex tourist. Female sex tourism is a taboo, something known about but little often talked about. However in Paradise: Love, director Ulrich Siedl cracks open that taboo - revealing the true nature to audiences worldwide - raising awareness to this specialised kind of tourism.
The concept of Female sex tourism is based upon western women travelling abroad to find a bit of 'romance'. The difference in male and female sex tourism is that male sex tourism is based normally purely on sex, whereas with female tourism it is slightly deeper; a relationship or a connection which then would result in sex.
For example in Bangkok, which is a place associated with male and female sex tourism, the men would take to the back alleys and brothels to source sex while the women would take to places of a romantic setting to source a more meaningful encounter; the beaches or deserts.
Female sex tourism is common amongst middle aged women who desire a whirlwind romance in an exotic country, providing a pallet of new experiences to be added to their lives. From the age of 30 to 40, women hit their sexual prime and have biological urges that need, well, 'fulfilling'. These cougar-like women crave a relationship which is both sexual and emotional - and it is not unheard of for women to even marry a local man.
Another name for Female Sex Tourism is 'Romance Travel'. The local men of a specific island which women may frequent looking for romance would be well aware what the intentions of these women were. Here are some examples of the kind of men who are in the game of female sex tourism.
Sanky-Panky - These are Jamaican gigolos. An alternative name for these guys is 'big bamboo' - for obvious reasons! White women love these Jamaicans for their stature and general physique. In return for sex, the 'sugar mumma's' buy the gigolos meals and clothes and would generally stay with them for the duration of the visit.
Bumsters - These Gambian gigolos wear bright colours to be easily spotted whilst waiting around nearby beaches to hotels which western women often frequent. According to BBC, "The sight of middle-aged white women walking around hand-in-hand with Gambian men 20 to 30 years their junior is not uncommon".
Kuta Cowboys - These guys are Indonesian surfers who have turned to satisfying the needs of female sex tourists by using their athletic ability and sexual prowess to their full advantage. Watch this video to see some of the Kuta Cowboys in action.
In certain countries which are popular with female sex tourism, the chance of exposure to HIV/AIDS is somewhat higher than in their home countries. Since it is a taboo subject, not much research has been done into the contraction of STDs pertaining to sexual tourism. It is known that whilst the intention of having protected sex is there for females, when push comes to shove sometimes this precautionary measure is shunned - which can indefinitely result in the contraction of STDs. This can be dangerous if these certain women bring the contracted infections back to their home country and in turn, spread it unwittingly.
In conclusion, female sex tourism is on the rise; the more awareness raised, the more women perhaps want their slice of the romantic cake - and why not? Men have been engaging in sexual tourism for centuries, so it is about time for women to experience some foreign romance.
However, it is always important to be safe in all sexual situations in whatever country you are in around the world; you never can be too careful!
This report was researched and written on behalf of online hotel booking HotelClub Singapore.
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