Sex tourism is, simply put, a lot of fun. If you’re the kind of person who likes traveling to exotic new locales – and also getting laid in exotic new locales – then they’re an awesome time that enables you to undergo new sexual experiences without pressure or prejudice.
However, sex work is, unfortunately, a wild scene in a great many places around the world. This can make it a little shadier than other touristic practices, and in extreme cases, can make it dangerous.
This is not always the case, of course. But it does mean that if you’re a sex traveler engaging in sex tourism, you probably need to be more cautious than someone who’s, say, going on an all-inclusive resort holiday for two weeks.
You’ll need to have your wits about you and research your sex tourism destination pretty carefully, as well as exercise all the usual tourism best practices.
With that in mind, then, let’s take a look at some vital tips and tricks that will help you in staying safe and have a good time on a sex tourism trip.
Know The Law and Abide by it!
Outside of a few European countries, the chances are that prostitution may be illegal in the country that you’re visiting.
However, not all laws are created equal. In some countries like the Czech Republic, owning and operating brothels is illegal, but buying (or selling) sex is not. You’re therefore pretty much immune from prosecution there because nothing that you’ll be doing is actually a crime.
In others (for instance, China), prostitution is completely illegal and you can be arrested for partaking. Due to a combination of local police corruption and plain, simple indifference to prostitution, most people never are.
It’s always worth checking the local laws before engaging in sex tourism, however. In some instances, the police may take any opportunity to go after foreigners – and this can be really bad news for you in some countries.
So exercise due diligence and do your research. Oh, and it goes without saying, this article is not legal advice.
Be Mindful Of Your Sexual Health
Sex tourism means, by definition, engaging in high-risk sexual practices. Prostitutes in many countries generally practice safe sex and have good sexual hygiene (particularly in developed countries like Germany and the Netherlands), but note that this is not always the case.
And in less developed countries like many of those in SE Asia? Assume nothing about your sexual partner’s history or hygiene, and always practice safe sex. STI rates tend to be higher in these countries, so it pays to wear a condom no matter what you do (even oral sex).
This goes double if you’re engaging in sex with men or trans women. The unfortunate truth is that they’re more at risk of STIs and, particularly, HIV – so make sure that you’re always careful.
Keep a Clear Head
A little Dutch courage can, for many, be essential when soliciting a prostitute. It can be a nerve-wracking experience, after all, and the boost of confidence that booze (or other substances) gives you can be invaluable.
However, those same substances cloud your judgment and make you take dumb risks. Is it really a good idea to venture to a rough part of town in search of a cheap brothel?
At best, you get unsatisfying sex and a headache the next day. At worst, you get robbed, rolled, or beaten up. A drunk tourist in the wrong part of town is a very easy target.
It’s also very easy to forget about practicing safe sex if you’re under the influence, making any sexual activity you engage in much riskier.
Bottom line – don’t drink or do drugs if you plan to engage in sexual activity.
Be Polite and Treat Sex Workers With Respect
Some clients of sex workers assume that because they’re paying for sex, they can behave however they want towards the sex worker – including being physically or verbally coercive or abusive.
Firstly – this is not only massively unacceptable anywhere in the world, but it’s an insanely bad idea when you’re not on your home turf.
You’re a guest in someone else’s country, and if you treat people this way, you will attract negative attention.
Behaving rudely to a sex worker or refusing to pay will net you a trip to the police station or the hospital. More extreme behavior may result in more extreme consequences.
In order to avoid such consequences, always be polite and always be mindful that you’re in someone else’s country.
Control The Location
“It’s just down here.”
These have been the last words heard by many a sex tourist before being led into a mugging or a beating because they followed a prostitute down the wrong alley.
In short, following anyone anywhere in a strange country is a massively bad idea. In order to avoid this, make sure you control the location – or at least research it first.
If it’s a brothel, make sure it’s a reputable and trustworthy one first. If it’s an escort, insist on a hotel that you’ve picked. Make sure that you’re cognizant of your surroundings at all times.
Be Upfront
In a foreign country, it’s easy for misunderstandings to happen. And such misunderstandings can be extremely frequent when it comes to something as culturally sensitive as sex.
A quick example of this is your believing you’re paying for full sex when all you’re going to be getting is a handjob.
Finding this out mid-act is not ideal, particularly as you may have already paid. That’s why you need to be clear on what you’re paying for before you pay for it.
Sure, it may be embarrassing clarifying to a madam or a receptionist that you want full sex. But it’s better than paying for it and not getting it.
Bottom line: always be upfront about what you expect. If it’s not offered, thank them and move on.
Conclusion
Though embarking on sex tourism may seem like a minefield full of potential hazards and pitfalls, the truth is that places that rely on sex tourism have developed pretty good infrastructure for it, and it’s in their best interests to look after sex tourists.
In Thailand or the Philippines, for instance, it’s rare that you’ll get rolled looking for a brothel or a sex worker.
However, it’s still worth following all of the tips we set out above. It always pays to be safe when abroad – and nowhere does this apply more than when it comes to sex tourism.
Stay safe, and enjoy your holiday.
Want to see what a Kink Consult sex tourism trip is like? Check out our recent field report covering a fully-guided trip to the infamous Venus sex convention in Germany’s capital of sin, Berlin!
