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Notice to US citizens: Your actions abroad may have serious consequences

WASHINGTON – American tourists, with twisted overseas travel plans to engage in child sex tourism, may think they are beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. However, they should know that it is a priority for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to apprehend and prosecute U.S. citizens who engage in sexual acts with minors in foreign countries.

Millions of American citizens travel abroad on a regular basis. While the vast majority of them are law abiding, some commit sexual crimes against minors in foreign countries. Each year, over a million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. Child sex tourism involves people who travel from their home country to another and engage in commercial sex acts with children. Child sex tourism is a shameful assault on the dignity of children and a form of child abuse and violence. For the minors involved, these acts have devastating consequences, which may include long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease, drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism and possibly death.

Tourists engaging in child sex tourism often travel to developing countries looking for anonymity and the availability of children in prostitution. The crime is typically fueled by weak local law enforcement, corruption, the Internet, ease of travel and poverty. These sexual offenders come from all socio-economic backgrounds and may hold positions of trust. Previous arrests for child sex tourism involving U.S. citizens have included: a pediatrician, a retired Army sergeant, a dentist, a Peace Corps volunteer and a university professor.

In 2003, the United States strengthened its ability to fight child sex tourism by passing the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act (PROTECT Act) and the Trafficking Victim's Protection Reauthorization Act. These laws carry penalties of up to 30 years in prison for engaging in child sex tourism. In the nine years since these laws were strengthened, HSI special agents have arrested 93 suspects on child sex tourism charges.

HSI has 73 offices in 47 foreign countries around the world that serve as the agency's liaison to counterparts in local government and law enforcement. HSI's attachés abroad are critical in investigating these crimes.

Just last week, Jesse Osmun, 33, a former Peace Corps volunteer, was sentenced in Hartford, Conn., to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing four girls, all under the age of 6, while he was a volunteer in South Africa. He never expected that HSI special agents would arrest him for crimes he committed nearly 8,000 miles away from his Connecticut home. HSI's office in Connecticut – working collaboratively with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut – has had two other recent cases involving child sex tourism. Edgardo Sensi was sentenced in January to 85 years in prison for production of child pornography and sexual tourism offenses related to his sexual abuse of minor girls in the United States and Nicaragua. Douglas Perlitz was sentenced in December 2010 to nearly 20 years in prison for sexually abusing 16 minor victims over the course of a decade in Haiti.

"I am proud to partner with HSI in prosecuting U.S. citizens who abuse children abroad," said U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, District of Connecticut. "I am hopeful that the cases we have successfully prosecuted in Connecticut will serve as a deterrent to others who would partake in these illegal acts. The Department of Justice will continue to devote resources to protecting children worldwide."

HSI's Child Exploitation Investigations Unit investigates the trans-border, large-scale production and distribution of images of child abuse, as well as individuals who travel abroad to engage in sex with minors. The unit employs the latest technology to collect evidence and track the activities of individuals and organized groups who sexually exploit children through the use of websites, chat rooms, newsgroups and peer-to-peer trading. These investigative activities are organized under Operation Predator, a program managed by the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit.

"If you are molesting children, I advise you to turn yourself in and get help," added Vincent. "The law will catch up to you no matter where you are. If you continue your crimes against children, you should always be looking over your shoulder because we will hunt you down to the ends of the earth in order to protect innocent children from being violated. There will be no refuge for child sexual predators who believe that they may victimize children outside the United States. No place is too distant or too remote to escape the attention of HSI."

To learn more about HSI, visit www.ICE.gov/HSI .

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What is Federal Sex Tourism and What are the Consequences?

Every year, over one million children are abused in the global commercial sex trade. 1 In the United States, federal laws prohibit any adults from traveling to another country to engage in illegal sexual activities with a child under the age of 18.

Federal Laws Define the Crime of Sex Tourism

Specific federal statutes under Title 18 of the U.S. Code define the crime and the punishments for child sex tourism, some of these statutes include: 2

Federal sex tourism is a serious crime with a harsh punishment.

  • 18 U.S.C. Section 2423(c): Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places – U.S. citizens and legal residents are prohibited from going to another country and molesting or raping a child, or paying to have sex with a child. This carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
  • 18 U.S.C. Section 2423(d): Ancillary Offenses, makes it illegal to be involved in the child sex tourism industry (sex tour operator). If you violate this law, you could face up to 30 years in prison.
  • 18 U.S.C. Sections 2251(c) and 2260(a): Production of Child Pornography outside the United States – makes it illegal to produce pornographic images outside of the US and import or intend to import them into the U.S. First time offenders face 15 to 30 years in prison for violating this law.
  • 18 U.S.C. Section 1591: Sex Trafficking of children by force, fraud, or coercion – makes it illegal to knowingly obtain a child (whether they are American or foreign) and offer or coerce them to engage in any type of sexual activity for something of value, including money, favor, goods or other type of benefit. This carries 15 years to life in prison if the child was under the age of 14, and 10 years to life in prison if the child victim was over the age of 14 and under the age of 18.

Consent Laws of Foreign Countries Do Not Apply to U.S. Citizens

You could be charged with a federal crime in the U.S. if you take a minor to another country where the age of consent is lower and engage in sexual intercourse there. In fact, under 18 U.S.C. Section 2423(b), it is against federal law to transport a minor to a foreign country or territory to engage in any type of criminal sexual activity, even if the laws of that country do not prohibit such activity. U.S. citizens and legal residents who transport a minor with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity face a prison sentence of 10 years to life.

What if you engage in sexual acts with a minor from that country? If you are a citizen of the United States or a legal resident of the U.S., you are bound by the laws of the U.S. and you could be charged with federal sex trafficking crimes if you engage in sexual acts with a minor while in another country. The penalties for illicit sexual conduct with another person include fines and up to 30 years in prison.

Recent Case of Federal Sex Tourism

A recent case exemplifies what happens if you engage in sexual activity with a child in a foreign country. In 2013, Ross Ornelas informed the FBI that he had found “lewd things” on the computer of his 63-year-old brother Robert. In October 2014, Robert was taken into federal custody based on evidence that he allegedly traveled to the Philippines in March 2012 and sexually abused a 14-year-old girl and videotaped it. He brought the video back into the United States in April.

For these alleged federal crimes, Ornelas is facing charges of possessing child pornography, producing child pornography, and engaging of child sexual conduct in a foreign country. According to the L.A. Times, the charges carry an 80-year maximum sentence. 3

Contact the Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich to Learn More

The partners at Wallin & Klarich will be there when you call

If you are facing federal sex tourism charges, contact one of our experienced sex crimes defense attorneys as soon as possible. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have been successfully defending people accused of federal crimes for over 30 years, and we are committed to helping guide you through the process. Our attorneys are available to answer any of your questions.

With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich federal attorney near you no matter where you work or live.

Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.

1. [http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/bureau-initiative-focuses-on-child-sex-tourism] ↩

2. [http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ceos/citizensguide/citizensguide_child-sex-tourism.html ] ↩

3. [http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln–teacher-charged-with-sex-with-minor-20141027-story.html]] ↩

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Extraterritorial Sexual Exploitation of Children

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Extraterritorial Sexual Exploitation Of Children

          The extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children is the act of traveling to a foreign country and engaging in sexual activity with a child in that country.  Federal law prohibits an American citizen or resident to travel to a foreign country with intent to engage in any form of sexual conduct with a minor (defined as persons under 18 years of age).  It is also illegal to help organize or assist another person to travel for these purposes.  This crime is a form of human trafficking, also referred to as child sex tourism. Convicted offenders face fines and up to 30 years of imprisonment (For more information, see Citizen's Guide to Federal Law on the Extraterritorial Sexual Exploitation of Children ).

The Crime Today

           The relative ease of international travel in modern-day society has led to the growth of a dark, more clandestine phenomenon– the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children.  The various modes of international travel provide easier means and more opportunities for individuals to travel abroad and engage in sexual activity with children.           In addition, technological advances have revolutionized the travel industry.  The Internet allows individuals to quickly and easily exchange information about how and where to find child victims in foreign locations.  Violators are also finding it easier to organize and navigate travel to foreign countries for these purposes online.  Moreover, the utilization of the Internet may promote or encourage others to become involved in this form of child sexual exploitation.

American Offenders

          Each year, Americans are convicted of committing this crime against children. While some offenders are pedophiles who preferentially seek out children for sexual relationships, others are situational abusers.  These individuals do not consistently seek out children as sexual partners, but do occasionally engage in sexual acts with children when the opportunity presents itself.  Children from developing countries are seen as easy targets by American perpetrators because they are often disadvantaged by unstable or unfavorable economic, social, or political conditions, or their home country lacks effective law enforcement against this crime.  However, incidents of the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children involving American perpetrators are reported and occur all over the world, including less developed areas in Southeast Asia, Central and South America, to more developed areas in Europe.           Some perpetrators rationalize their sexual encounters with children with the idea that they are helping the children financially better themselves and their families.  Other perpetrators are drawn towards this crime because they enjoy the anonymity that comes with being in a foreign land.  Racism, gender discrimination, and cultural differences are among other justifications.  However, the reason for travel makes no difference under the law; any American citizen or resident who engages in sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign land is subject to federal prosecution.

CEOS’s Role

         CEOS attorneys work with the High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations (ICE), United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, as well as foreign governments and law enforcement personnel to investigate and prosecute cases arising under federal statutes prohibiting the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children.           CEOS is dedicated to developing strategies and long-lasting relationships with foreign governments, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors to more efficiently and effectively prosecute Americans sexually exploiting children in foreign countries. The enforcement of these laws abroad is part of the United States' effort to eradicate the sexual exploitation of children.  Offenders prosecuted in the United States often face more appropriate penalties than if they were prosecuted in the country where the sexual abuse occurred.             In addition, CEOS attorneys travel all over the country to conduct trainings for investigators, law enforcement personnel and others involved in efforts to investigate and prosecute this crime.  Moreover, CEOS designs, implements, and supports law enforcement strategies, legislative proposals, and policy initiatives relating to federal laws on the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children.

News & Insights

Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Equality Now tackles sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, often called “sex tourism”, a global issue that cuts across national borders and state lines. “Sex tourists” travel to buy sex from vulnerable women, girls and other vulnerable people, often from poor and marginalized communities.

Sexual exploitation in travel and tourism has become far more complex, involving not only tourists but business travelers, migrant/transient workers, and ‘voluntourists’ intent on exploiting women, girls, and other vulnerable people, as well as large numbers of domestic travelers.  ECPAT’s global study on sexual exploitation in travel and tourism  confirms that offenders can come from any background and do not all fit the stereotypical profile: a white, Western, wealthy, middle-aged male pedophile. Some may be pedophiles but most are not. Both the age of the clients and the age of the victims are  decreasing . 

There is increasing recognition of the links between organized sexual exploitation and travel for business or leisure, including for major sporting events such as the Super Bowl. 

Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Women, girls, and other vulnerable people are often trafficked domestically or internationally to meet demand. Equality Now was one of the first human rights organizations to recognize the link between “sex tourism” and sex trafficking, and to focus on shutting down sex tour operators.

What is Equality Now doing to end sexual exploitation in travel and tourism?

Equality Now is working with Trace Kenya and LifeBloom Services International to call for legal reform that will protect women and girls from sexual exploitation and end impunity for perpetrators. As well as working on reform of national law including the Sexual Offenses Act, the Counter Trafficking In Persons Act, and the Children Act we are also engaging with local government to promote county-level laws and policies. Through our partners, we also engage with judiciary and law enforcement to encourage them to take a more gendered, survivor-centered approach. 

Our Impact: Tackling Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

Taking on big apple oriental tours.

We campaigned to shut down Big Apple Oriental Tours, a New York City-based company exploiting women and girls in the Philippines and Thailand. In 2007, our efforts led New York to amend its anti-trafficking law, which gave police the tools to prosecute sex tour operators. After many investigations, we helped convict the company’s co-owner Douglas Allen of promoting prostitution in 2013.

Passing First US State Law Against Sex Tourism

We began our campaign to shut down Hawaii-based sex tour operator Video Travel, a company exploiting women and girls in Thailand. Our campaign and legal support inspired Hawaii to introduce and pass the first state law to criminalize sex tourism. Video Travel’s proprietor had his travel agency license revoked and is no longer allowed to operate in Hawaii.

Calling on the US Government to End Sex Tourism

We called on the US government to stop sex tourism and to investigate GF Tours, a company exploiting women in Southeast Asia. We lobbied for stronger enforcement of federal anti-trafficking laws, which make sex tourism a crime, to shut them down. Due to our efforts, GF Tours removed graphic content from its materials.

First Sex Tourism Conviction in New York State

Equality Now brought the case of Jump Off Destinations, a New York-based sex tour operator traveling to the Dominican Republic, to the attention of the Manhattan District Attorney. In 2007, the owner was found guilty, the first time that New York State law prohibiting the promotion of prostitution was used to prosecute a sex tour operator and the first conviction of its kind in the US.

Standing Up for Exploited Girls

We led a civil case in the US on behalf of Brazilian girls who were sexually exploited by a US-based sex tour operator. With pro bono support from a law firm, we filed the first known civil action under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. In 2015, the case was settled. The funds helped the girls rebuild their lives. 

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Sex & Travel

Cdc yellow book 2024.

Author(s): Melanie Taylor, Ina Park

A natural human desire for novel experiences, coupled with the often-experienced loss of inhibition associated with being away from home, can lead some travelers to take greater than usual sexual behavioral risks (e.g., engaging in sex with new, unknown partners; having sex with multiple partners; connecting with sex networks) while abroad. Any of these behaviors can increase the traveler’s risk for exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Use of alcohol or drugs (which further decrease inhibition), or geosocial networking applications (“apps” which increase the efficiency of meeting sexual partners while abroad) can amplify a traveler’s chances of having an at-risk exposure, in some cases substantially.

Clinicians have an opportunity to help patients reduce their risk of exposure to STIs through pretravel behavioral-prevention and risk-reduction counseling and medical care. Elements of the pretravel preparation include STI prevention guidance (e.g., advocating for the use of condoms or other barrier methods); STI screening, treatment, and vaccines; and a discussion about HIV pre- and postexposure prophylaxis. Consider providing preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection in travelers planning to have condomless sex. The pretravel consultation also gives clinicians a chance to review safety recommendations to prevent sexual assault during travel.

Sex While Traveling

Sex while traveling encompasses the categories of casual consensual sex, sex tourism, sexual violence or assault, connection to sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation of children.

Casual Consensual Sex

Casual consensual sex during travel describes informal, non-transactional sexual encounters with other travelers or locals. Longer duration of travel, traveling alone or with friends, alcohol or drug use, younger age, and being single are factors associated with engaging in casual sex while traveling internationally. Other associations with casual sex are listed in Box 9-14 . Two meta-analyses estimated that 20%–34% of male international travelers engage in casual sex abroad, and that 43%–49% of all travelers participating in casual sex abroad have condomless sex.

Box 9-14 Factors associated with higher frequency of casual or unprotected sex abroad

  • Casual sex at home and during a previous travel experience
  • Expectation of casual sex while abroad
  • History of previous sexually transmitted infection
  • Illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, tobacco use
  • Long-term travel (expatriates, military, Peace Corps volunteers)
  • Traveling without a partner (either alone or with friends)
  • Younger age
  • ≥2 sex partners in the last 2 years

Men Who Have Sex With Men

For men who have sex with men (MSM), conclusions from the literature regarding their sexual behavior when traveling are conflicting. Some studies examining MSM sexual behavior when traveling have concluded that this population is more likely to engage in condomless anal intercourse with partners of unknown HIV status; to have concurrent or multiple sex partners; or to have sex in conjunction with substance use while traveling. These can be particularly true if the reason for travel is to attend group sex events or gatherings (e.g., cruises, circuit parties). Other reports, however, indicate that MSM might adapt their behaviors when traveling to destinations perceived to have a higher risk for HIV. One study found that MSM who travel internationally were less likely to have condomless anal intercourse with partners abroad compared to partners encountered at home or during domestic travel.

Sex Tourism

Travel for the specific purpose of procuring sex is considered “sex tourism,” and sex tourism destinations frequently are countries where commercial sex is legal. In some countries, sex tourism supports sex trafficking, among the largest and most lucrative criminal industries in the world. Sex tourists have traditionally been men from high-income countries who travel to low- and middle-income countries to pay for sex with local women, including commercial sex workers. Sex tourism among American and European women also has been described, particularly to the Caribbean.

Having condomless sex with commercial sex workers is associated with an increased risk for STIs. Multidrug-resistant gonorrhea infections have been linked to encounters with sex workers. High rates of HIV are also frequently found among sex workers, with a systematic review describing a global prevalence of 11.8%. Among sex workers in Thailand, however, HIV rates of up to 44% have been described; in Kenya, the rate among sex workers has been reported to be even higher (up to 88%).

Sexual Violence & Assault

People of any age, gender, or sexual orientation can be victims of sexual violence during travel and should be aware of this risk. The risk for sexual assault is greater among young women traveling alone and in regions of high sexual violence prevalence (e.g., central and southern sub-Saharan Africa, Andean Latin America, Australasia). In addition, some studies have identified that young gay and bisexual males (MSM) traveling internationally might be victims of sexual violence more frequently than females or heterosexual males. Sexual violence can occur more often in association with international recreational travel, but it is also reported in travelers participating in humanitarian aid work. Alcohol and drug use have been shown to increase vulnerability for sexual assault. Unfamiliar cultural norms, environments, language barriers, and safety concerns might also increase the risk.

Post–Sexual Assault Medical Care

Victims of sexual violence (particularly rape) should seek immediate medical attention. Health care sought after 72 hours could negate the benefits of postexposure prophylaxis for HIV and STIs, lower the effectiveness of emergency contraception, and reduce the value of any collected forensic evidence. Seeking medical care following a sexual assault can, however, be difficult in places where safety is a concern, where health care is not easily accessed, and where language and other barriers might not facilitate appropriate evaluation.

In addition to HIV and other STI postexposure prophylaxis, emergency contraception, and the forensic examination, medical attention after sexual assault should include treatment of injuries and provision of mental health and other supportive care. Adolescent-adapted services should be available and sought to address the related but different needs of youth who have been victims of sexual violence.

Sex Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation of Children

Although commercial sex work is legal in some parts of the world, sex trafficking, sex with a minor, and child pornography are always criminal activities according to US law, and travelers can be prosecuted in the United States even if they participated in such activities abroad. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act makes it illegal to recruit, entice, or obtain a person of any age to engage in commercial sex acts or to benefit from such activities.

Sex With Minors

Federal law bars US residents traveling abroad from having sex with minors; this applies to all travelers, both adult and youth. Travel health providers should inform student travelers and other young people going abroad that according to US law, it is illegal for a US resident to have sex with a minor in another country. The legal age of consent varies around the world, from 11–21 years old. Some countries have no legal age of consent, with local laws forbidding all sexual relations outside of marriage.

Child Pornography

Regardless of the local age of consent, participation in child pornography anywhere in the world is illegal in the United States. US Code Title 18, Chapter 110 , prohibits sex with minors, as well as the purchase, procurement, holding, or storage of material depicting such acts. These crimes are subject to prosecution with penalties of up to 30 years in prison. Victims of child pornography suffer multiple forms of abuse (emotional, physical, psychological, as well as sexual), poverty and homelessness, and health problems, including physical injury, STIs, other infections and illnesses, drug and alcohol addiction, and malnourishment.

Sexual Exploitation of Children

Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism affects all countries of the world regardless of income level. Offenders can include expatriates, humanitarian aid workers, international business travelers, military personnel, people attending large-scale sporting and cultural events, teachers, travelers and tourists, and volunteers. Financial vulnerabilities of families and communities resulting from the millions of travel and tourism jobs lost due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the availability of cheap and accessible travel, and expanding access to information and communication technologies are expected to increase opportunities for child sexual exploitation.

Combatting Sexual Exploitation of Children

To combat sexual exploitation of children, some international hotels and other tourism services have voluntarily adopted a code of conduct that includes training their employees to recognize and report suspicious activities. Tourist establishments supporting this initiative to protect children from sex tourism are listed online. Providers and travelers who suspect child sexual exploitation occurring abroad can report tips anonymously by calling the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line (toll-free at 866-347-2423), or by submitting information online to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children .

In the United States, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Cyber Tipline collects reports of child prostitution and other crimes against children (toll-free at 800-843-5678).

Protect Act

Since 2003, when Congress passed the federal PROTECT Act, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has arrested >11,000 offenders for child sex tourism and exploitation, including 1,100 outside of the United States. The PROTECT Act strengthens the US government’s ability to prosecute and punish crimes related to sex tourism, including incarceration of ≤30 years for acts committed at home or abroad.

Cooperation of the host country is required to open an investigation of criminal activity, resulting in a much lower than hoped for conviction rate. In some places, the judicial system might be prone to bribery and corruption, or the government is otherwise willing to expand tourism and the money it brings at the expense of children being trafficked for sex. The US Department of State has published a list of 20 ways to fight human trafficking , including recommendations for youth and their parents, attorneys, health care providers, journalists, and other stakeholders.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

See Sec. 11, Ch. 10, Sexually Transmitted Infections , for details regarding the management of STIs in returned travelers.

Epidemiology

In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated that 376 million new infections with curable sexually transmitted pathogens (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis) occur annually. Globally, >500 million adults are estimated to be infected with a genital herpes virus; ≈40 million people are infected with HIV; and >300 million with human papillomavirus infections, the cause of cervical cancer. Over 30 infections are sexually transmitted, several of which are neither curable nor vaccine preventable.

The distribution of STI prevalence and STI resistance to available treatment varies, and some countries and regions have very high rates of STIs. International travelers having sex with new partners while abroad are exposed to different “sexual networks” than at home and can serve as a conduit for importing novel or antimicrobial-resistant STIs into parts of the world where they are unknown or rare. For example, gonorrhea (among the more common STIs globally with ≈78 million new cases in 2016) has become extensively drug resistant in some parts of the world. Multidrug-resistant gonorrhea infections have been associated with unprotected sex and commercial sex during travel. Patients presenting with antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections should prompt providers to inquire about their travel history and the travel history of their sex partners.

STI incidence is increased ≤3-fold in people who experience casual sex while traveling internationally, a consequence of new sexual partnerships and unprotected intercourse. Condoms prevent both STIs and unwanted pregnancy. Preventive vaccines (which can be considered as part of pretravel care) are available for some infections transmitted through intercourse (e.g., hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus). HIV PrEP might be appropriate for travelers planning to engage in condomless sex during travel. Travelers should consider packing condoms from their home country to avoid the need to search for them in the countries visited during travel. Women carrying condoms in luggage might need to conceal these to avoid questions related to sexual activity or assumed behaviors.

In May 2022, a multinational outbreak of monkeypox  ( mpox ) began; 3 months later (by the end of August) it involved people from >90 countries. During the outbreak, the causative agent, monkeypox virus (see Sec. 5, Part 2, Ch. 22, Smallpox & Other Orthopoxvirus-Associated Infections ), spread person-to-person primarily through close skin-to-skin (including sexual) contact. Most cases occurred among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; international travel played a role in introducing the virus to new countries. Remind all travelers that sex with new partners can increase their risk of contracting infections, including mpox.

People at risk of mpox exposure and infection during travel should complete mpox vaccination series at least two weeks prior to departure.  Refer susceptible travelers who have been exposed to mpox for vaccination, as soon as possible (ideally within 4 days of exposure) to help prevent the disease or make it less severe.

The following authors contributed to the previous version of this chapter: Jay Keystone, Kimberly A. Workowski, Elissa Meites

Bibliography

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Sun, sea and sex: a review of the sex tourism literature

  • Timothy Siliang Lu 1 ,
  • Andrea Holmes 1 , 2 ,
  • Chris Noone 3 &
  • Gerard Thomas Flaherty   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5987-1658 1 , 4  

Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines volume  6 , Article number:  24 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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Sex tourism is defined as travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal. While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters. This narrative review explores current concepts related to travel and sex, with a focus on trans-national sex tourism.

The PubMed database was accessed to source relevant literature, using combinations of pertinent search terms. Only articles published in the English language were selected. Reference lists of published articles were also examined for relevant articles.

With regard to preferred destinations, South/Central America and the Caribbean were more likely to receive tourists looking for casual sex. Longer duration of travel, travelling alone or with friends, alcohol or drug use, being younger and being single were factors associated with higher levels of casual sex overseas. The majority of literature retrieved on sex workers focused on risk behaviours, sexually transmitted infections (STI), mobility of sex workers and how these factors affected their lives. Sex tourists require better access to effective methods of preventing HIV, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, and better education on HIV prevention. Drugs and alcohol play a major role as risk factors for and cofactors in casual sexual behaviour while abroad.

Conclusions

Travellers need to be informed of the increased risks of STI before travel. They should be aware of the local prevalence of STIs and the risks associated with their sexual practices when they travel, including engaging with commercial sex workers, having unprotected sexual intercourse and becoming victims of sexual violence.

Prior to the current pandemic of COVID-19, international travel had reached record levels of activity, with 1.4 billion traveller arrivals recorded in 2018 [ 1 ]. Sex and travel have a long association, dating from the ancient world onwards [ 2 ], and their connection is still apparent today. Sex tourism is defined by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal” [ 3 ]. Domestic sex tourism implies travel within the same country, while trans-national sex tourism refers to travel across international boundaries.

While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, which remains illegal in many jurisdictions, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters, typically involving a tourist from an economically developed country seeking sexual experiences in developing host destinations. In some cases, travellers may engage in sex tourism to validate their own sexual identity with greater freedom than would be allowed in their own, more conservative nations. The main source of opposition to sex tourism concerns the troubling phenomenon of child sex tourism, which will be explored later in this review.

The link between travelling and the spread of disease is undeniable, as demonstrated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. As the travel landscape changes in the aftermath of the pandemic, so will the behaviour of travellers. The subject of sex tourism has been neglected to date in the travel medicine literature and receives little attention in the pre-travel health consultation. This narrative review explores current concepts related to travel and sex, with a focus on trans-national sex tourism, while also giving an insight into specific risks and behaviours associated with this activity.

Literature search strategy

The PubMed database was accessed between June 2019 and June 2020 to source relevant literature using combinations of the following search terms: Sex, Tourism, Travel, Migration, Holiday, Abroad, Vacation, Sexually Transmitted Infection, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Prostitution, Drugs, Alcohol, Trafficking, Rape, Child, Military, Navy, Defence Forces, Business, Homosexual, Heterosexual, LGBTQ+, Transgender, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Oceania, Africa. Only articles published in the English language were selected. Articles published within the past 5 years were prioritised. Reference lists of published articles were examined to ensure all relevant articles were included. Relevant sources of grey literature were also retrieved using Google® as a search engine. The legality of prostitution in different international jurisdictions, governmental attempts to regulate the sex tourism industry and the extraterritorial criminalisation of child sex tourism were beyond the scope of the current review.

Epidemiology of sex and travel

In the context of this review, we define casual sex as sexual relations undertaken without serious intent or emotional commitment between individuals who are not established sexual partners or do not know each other well. Men were more likely to seek out or engage in casual or risky sex behaviours (e.g., multiple partners, unprotected intercourse) while travelling [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. As many as 1 in 10 men were recorded as having an overseas partner in a British study [ 6 ], and different categories of male sex tourist have also been proposed in the literature [ 7 ], ranging from the ‘macho lad’ asserting his dominance over foreign women to the ‘white knight’ saving women from commercial sex work. A study from the United States showed that female travellers had a greater preference for travel to European or tropical countries, and that sex was more likely to occur on group tours, sightseeing or backpacking holidays lasting fewer than 14 days [ 8 ]. Female sex tourism has also been described in Caribbean destinations such as Jamaica, with Euro-American women purchasing the services of so-called “Rent-A-Dreads”, local men who seek out relationships with tourist women for economic gain [ 9 ]. Younger women were reported to prefer expatriates and other tourists as sexual partners [ 10 ], while men of all ages and older women were reported to exercise a preference for local partners.

With regards to preferred destinations, a meta-analysis conducted in 2018 showed that South/Central America and the Caribbean were more likely to receive tourists looking for casual sex [ 5 ]. Additionally, Thailand and Cuba also have a prevalent sex tourism industry [ 7 , 11 ]. One study found that 66% of Australian tourists to Thailand were planning on having a sexual encounter while there [ 11 ], while sex tourism in Cuba has been described as “integral to the Cuban experience” [ 12 ]. Traveller subtypes who were more likely to engage in sex included backpackers, travelling businessmen, those visiting friends and relatives (VFR), and those travelling specifically to solicit commercial sex workers [ 5 ]. Factors associated with popular sex tourism destinations are described in Table  1 .

Several studies report that longer duration of travel (greater than 1 month), travelling alone or with friends, alcohol or drug use, being younger and being single were factors associated with higher levels of casual sex overseas [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. A study conducted in Sweden reported conflicting data, showing that short term travellers (less than 5 days) were 20 times more likely to engage in casual sex [ 16 ]. While few studies offered information linking different ethnicities to sexual behaviour overseas, one British study found that non-white citizens were more likely to engage in sexual behaviour while travelling [ 6 ]. Migrants and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community are also discussed frequently in the sex tourism literature. A summary of the characteristics associated with sexual risk behaviour is shown in Table  2 . This will be explored further in this review. Studies of travellers engaging in sex with tourism representatives [ 11 ], sex workers and fellow travellers [ 5 ] show that choice of partner while travelling is not limited to any particular demographic.

Commercial sex work and travel

Travellers may engage in planned or opportunistic interactions with commercial sex workers (CSW). The majority of literature we retrieved on sex workers focused on risk behaviours, sexually transmitted infections (STI), mobility of sex workers and how these factors affected their lives. De et al. examined the different categories of sex worker in the region of Bangui in the Central African Republic, and found that 1 in 4 of ‘Pupulenge’, the higher class sex worker more likely to cater to foreigners, had poor regular usage of condoms in the previous 3 months, but better knowledge of their HIV/AIDS risk and status [ 24 ]. There were similar findings among male sex workers in Jamaica, who regarded themselves more as long term romantic partners of female tourists, and as such had low levels of condom usage [ 13 ]. In addition, these men had reported misuse of alcohol and drugs, and were accustomed to having multiple partners.

Safe sex behaviours were also shown to be highly dependent on the travel destination. A study in Singapore showed that 87.5% of local men used condoms when engaging a sex worker in Singapore, but when travelling the rate dropped to between 44 and 77%, depending on location [ 25 ]. This finding was supported by research from Hong Kong, which also showed that heterosexual men reported lower levels of condom usage when visiting sex workers outside of their own country [ 26 ]. Hsieh et al. [ 27 ] proposed that the clients of sex workers could facilitate the spread of STIs between different nations and networks to a larger degree than sex workers, while also contributing to STI prevalence within their own communities.

An interesting area with limited research evidence is the role sex tourism websites play, with only one paper identified on this subject [ 28 ]. This article analysed various sex tourism websites and found that most displayed sex workers as commodities, to be chosen and paid for by tourists, portraying them as exotic third world women, capable of providing a “total girlfriend experience”, enjoying the company of foreigners and being completely subservient to them. This study proposed that these websites enforce the fiction behind sex tourism and, in doing so, sustain the possible misogynistic views of the sex tourist. It was also noted that any legal or health information on these websites was centred round the tourist, rather than the sex worker.

The risks faced by non-commercial partners of sex workers have also been studied. An examination of CSW in a Mexican border town with high migratory traffic found that unprotected sex was often common in their personal relationships, too [ 29 ]. The literature relating to CSW and travel showed that multiple parties are implicated in commercial sex networks, and the behaviour of any one individual in these networks has implications for many others. Table  3 below summarises these findings.

  • Sexually transmitted infections

The association of sex tourism and casual sex during travel with the spread of novel STIs has long been recognised. It has been suggested that Columbus’ sailors were responsible for the epidemic of venereal syphilis in Europe in the late fifteenth century following sexual relations with local Haitian women [ 2 ], while the link between travel and the spread of novel STIs was also established in Thailand in the 1980s [ 30 ], and Trinidad and Tobago in 2012 [ 31 ]. Travellers are also thought to be implicated in the reintroduction of syphilis and lymphogranuloma venereum to parts of North America and Europe [ 25 ]. The risk factors for traveller acquisition of STIs include longer duration of stay, travel to lower income countries, being single, substance abuse, being male, repeat visits to the same area, and a previous history of multiple partners or STIs [ 32 , 33 ]. Crawford et al. identified being female, having a history of fewer sexual partners, and having received pre-travel health advice and vaccinations as being associated with a lower risk of contracting STIs among expatriates and travellers [ 32 ].

While prevalence rates for STIs among CSW vary, rates as high as 88% in Nairobi and 44% in Bangkok have been reported [ 34 ]. In addition to this, high rates of curable STI prevail worldwide, ranging from 5 to 65% in Africa, 20.9% in Brazil and 0–13.6% in Asia [ 10 ]. These findings put sex tourists at very high risk for STIs on a global scale. A diverse range of STIs has been recorded in travellers returning from tropical countries [ 35 ], from frequent detection of genital herpes in sailors returning to China [ 36 ], to the suggested “new” STI Tinea genitalis , found in several individuals with a recent travel sex history in Southeast Asia [ 37 ]. While this type of dermatophyte infection is not primarily an STI, the sudden rise in cases associated with it over a short period highlights how vulnerable travellers are to organisms transferable through intimate contact during travel.

A study examining all cases of gonorrhoea contracted by people living in Nordic nations between 2008 and 2013 showed that 25.5% of all cases were associated with travel [ 14 ]. The rates of travel-associated gonorrhoea increased from year to year and, while the majority of cases involved men, the number of affected women increased from year to year. Among the regions visited, the majority of Nordic travel-associated cases of gonorrhoea were associated with travel to Asia (between December and July) and Europe (from August to November), a third of cases were associated with travel to Thailand, and travel to Thailand, Philippines and Spain accounted for almost half of all travel-related cases. These data imply that specific regions can be considered hotspots for contraction of STIs during travel.

Another important consideration is the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) STIs. In recent years, the rise in AMR involving Haemophilus ducreyi has been documented worldwide [ 10 ]. Similarly, beta-lactamase producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been detected in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. In isolates of N. gonorrhoeae from Africa and Southeast Asia, penicillin resistance has been reported in as many as 50% of isolates. Baker et al. also noted the worldwide spread of azithromycin-resistant shigellosis through sexual transmission, from high prevalence regions in Africa and Asia, to lower prevalence nations [ 38 ]. The documented increase in AMR STIs puts travellers engaging in sexual behaviour at high risk of treatment-resistant infection.

Current efforts to advise and change traveller behaviours have been shown to be of limited effectiveness. A study of different efforts to curtail travellers’ risk behaviour showed that providing brief interventions on sexual health during consults for travellers proved minimally more effective than just distributing condoms or not providing additional advice [ 39 ]. This trial showed that the methods employed still resulted in low levels of condom usage. In a study by Croughs et al., extensive motivational training was shown to reduce sexual risk behaviour, and it was also found that written materials on STIs were more effective than having travel health practitioners discuss STI prevention with travellers [ 40 ]. A change in strategy appears necessary to combat the risk-taking behaviours of travellers, especially given the reported difficulty of reaching target audiences [ 41 ].

This is an important area that warrants further research, given poor recorded levels of condom usage in travellers. A meta-analysis of literature on this subject found that the pooled prevalence of unprotected intercourse among travellers who had sex overseas was 49.4% [ 42 ]. Similar results have been shown among sexually active backpackers visiting Ko Tao and Ko Phangan in Thailand, with a third of subjects reporting inconsistent condom use. An online cross-sectional study of travellers was conducted in 2014 [ 15 ], and among the sexually active population 59.7% reported inconsistent condom use. A study of condom usage among Swedish travellers revealed flawed reasoning for decisions around condom usage, such as length of familiarity with partner, the country visited, and asking if their partner had an STI [ 43 ]. This same study also revealed that some travellers succumbed to peer pressure, were more willing to let their partner make the decision, and had a fear of being seen as promiscuous (among heterosexual women) or a fear of ‘ruining the moment’ (among heterosexual men), leading to reduced condom usage. Other factors associated with reduced usage were the belief that foreign condoms were of poorer quality [ 34 ], spontaneous sexual encounters or embarrassment at purchasing condoms [ 43 ], substance use [ 15 , 32 , 43 ], and travel to Latin America or the Caribbean [ 15 ]. An examination of male sex tourists to Thailand also revealed that unprotected sex was seen as more masculine and enjoyable, and there was a general misconception among male sex tourists that unprotected heterosexual intercourse was a low risk activity [ 44 ]. This same study also showed that male heterosexual sex tourists were aware of risks, but due to their own personal or peer experiences being at variance with the warnings they received regarding risky sexual behaviour, they were more likely to engage in unprotected sex with CSW. The low rates of condom usage put sexually active travellers at an obvious risk for contraction of STIs.

It is accepted that contracting an STI increases the risk of HIV transmission, and vice versa [ 45 ]. A Geosentinel analysis from 2013 indicated that, out of a sample of 64,335 travellers, 117 returned home with acute symptoms of HIV transmission [ 46 ]. In addition, links between clusters of HIV acquisition in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have been found. This finding highlighted the role migration and travel play in the transmission of HIV within Central America. This study also found half of Honduran woman sampled with HIV belonged to viral clusters that were linked to international clusters. Memish and Osoba also noted in their paper on STIs and travel that travellers to Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and India were most likely to acquire HIV from unprotected sexual encounters [ 2 ]. The voluminous literature relating to STIs and travel indicates that this is an area of key importance to the travel medicine practitioner. While the effectiveness to date of interventions in altering risk behaviours in travellers has been questionable, it is clear that travellers require better access to effective methods of preventing HIV, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and better education on HIV prevention.

The LGBTQ+ community and travel sex behaviour

A meta-analysis published in 2018 revealed that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) travellers were 3 times more likely to have casual sex while travelling [ 5 ]. Travel or migration may allow members of the LGBTQ+ community to escape from societal pressures they face in their home countries and explore their sexuality [ 17 ]. MSM are also more likely than heterosexual men to have multiple partners during their travels. MSM have also shown to be at least twice as likely to pay for sex compared to heterosexual men [ 10 ]. A report on MSM travellers in the United States also found that 19.4% of those surveyed reported that having sex with a new partner was one of their main goals while on vacation [ 18 ]. Further studies in the US on MSM travellers to Key West, a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travellers in Florida, found that of the sexually active participants, 34% had new partners, and 59% had unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) [ 19 ]. Among Swedish MSM travellers, 13.5% reported UAI during their overseas travels, the majority of whom met a new partner abroad [ 20 ]. Additional studies in China involving MSM found that 5% identified as sex tourists, a third of this group identified the purchase of sex as a primary reason for travel, and another third had UAI while travelling [ 21 ].

While limited research exists on other categories of travellers within the LGBTQ+ community, one paper on transgender women in Bangladesh revealed that those who crossed international borders had a greater number of transactional sex partners and reduced use of condoms [ 22 ]. Across all of these studies, regular associations between travel and drug and alcohol use, transactional sex, group sex, a history of STIs and a greater number of past partners were reported [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].

Another interesting area of development in LGBTQ+ international travel trends is the resurgence of circuit parties [ 47 ]. These parties involve weekend-long social activities and dance events. Party-goers were found more likely to have a greater number of partners in the previous 6 months, greater use of recreational drugs, more likely to seek transactional sex, and more likely to report a personal history of STI and UAI. A common finding with these parties was attendees travelling from low HIV prevalence countries to high prevalence countries. This finding was replicated among Chinese MSM travellers [ 21 ]. These social events are commonly associated with the use of drugs which heighten sexual arousal, an activity referred to as ‘chemsex’.

Networks of MSM travellers have also been described around the world. A group of MSM referred to as “Geoflexibles” was identified by Gesink et al. in 2018 [ 48 ]. The authors described a group of men who were willing to travel for sex, and who were less particular about where they had sex. Gesink proposed that these travellers could act as a bridge between MSM in Toronto and, although his study did not specifically mention international travel, it is certainly applicable in the travel context. Networks of MSM implicated in the transmission of STIs and HIV have been suggested in the literature. Persson et al. suggested the presence of a network in Sweden with a high prevalence of STI/HIV [ 20 ], and an examination of HIV clusters in Central America found that half of the people living with HIV were MSM, with serotypes closely related to international clusters [ 49 ]. The suggestion of international MSM networks and travel playing a role in the dispersion of STI/HIV was reinforced by Takebe et al. in 2014 [ 50 ]. Their research revealed the worldwide dispersal of the JP.MSM.B1 subtype of HIV, and confirmed the interactions of HIV epidemics between Japan, China and the rest of the world. These networks have also been implicated in Shigella transmission in San Francisco [ 51 ], in addition to an outbreak of Hepatitis A in Northern Italy [ 52 ].

These findings have implications for LGBTQ+ travellers who engage in sexual behaviour while abroad. Mathematical modelling of LGBTQ+ tourists to Key West estimated that 1 in 196.5 MSM who engage in risk behaviour will acquire HIV [ 19 ], roughly equating to 200 new infections per 100,000 tourists, a number which could drop to as low as 45 with consistent condom use. In 77% of sexual interactions in this study, HIV serostatus was not discussed. Studies about MSM travellers in San Francisco showed that, among those who engaged in casual sex, there was a decreased probability of HIV serodisclosure when communication was an issue owing to language barriers [ 53 ]. A follow up study was conducted on the health-seeking behaviour of MSM travellers, revealing that a quarter of those surveyed had not received the Hepatitis B virus vaccine, and of the men living with HIV, a third had not been vaccinated [ 54 ].

Another facet of the intersection between sex tourism and HIV transmission that warrants attention is the relatively new phenomenon of “holiday pre-exposure prophylaxis” (PrEP) for HIV. With PrEP being a relatively new phenomenon, limited literature exists on the subject in relation to travel, but interviews conducted by Underhill et al. suggest that MSM travellers regard themselves as at greater risk for HIV while travelling and are more willing to take PrEP [ 55 ]. However, travel has also been associated with disruption in PrEP regimens due to inconvenience [ 56 , 57 ], so the role it plays in sex tourism warrants further research.

Travel for the purposes of sexual exploration and casual sex among MSM presents a challenge to travel medicine practitioners. Analysis of Swedish MSM travellers in 2015 revealed that there was little HIV or STI prevention information received in Sweden or abroad [ 58 ]. In addition, only 3% of the surveyed population sought out this information before travelling. A further investigation of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of MSM travellers is required to plan successful interventions in this population of international travellers. More research on how sex tourism is experienced by women and gender diverse people within the LGBTQ+ community is also warranted.

The effects of alcohol and drugs on sex tourism

Drugs and alcohol play a major role as risk factors for and cofactors in casual sexual behaviour while abroad. A study of British summer workers in Ibiza found that almost all those surveyed drank alcohol, while 85.3% used drugs during their stay, a high proportion of whom used drugs that they had never tried before [ 59 ]. This study found that the odds of having sex increased with the use of amphetamines or higher frequency of drinking, while the odds of having multiple partners increased with greater frequency of drinking. Unprotected sex was also found to be more likely when alcohol was involved.

Extensive analysis of American students on Spring Break has also been conducted to analyse the role alcohol plays in high risk behaviour during this period. Patrick et al. found that a greater proportion of students drank alcohol before having sex or making risky sexual decisions [ 60 ]. This finding was particularly prevalent among students who travelled abroad. Another study of Spring Break students found that risky behaviours such as unprotected sex or multiple partners were cumulative [ 61 ], such that engaging in one activity increased risk for the other. Almost half of the students in this study reported binge drinking before sex. The role alcohol and drugs play in exposing travellers to risky sexual behaviour is clear, but this appears to be poorly appreciated by the traveller. Travel health practitioners must emphasise the risks travellers expose themselves to when misusing alcohol and drugs.

Sexual assault and violence in travellers

A cross-sectional survey on travellers returning from Mediterranean resorts reported that 1.5% were subject to non-consensual sex during their travels, with gay and bisexual males reporting higher levels [ 62 ]. In this same report, 8.6% of respondents experienced some form of sexual harassment, with females and gay/bisexual males more frequently reporting this. Another finding was that being a gay/bisexual male, using marijuana, and patronising bars where there were opportunities for sex were factors associated with being subject to non-consensual sex. A similar study on the harassment of tourists in Barbados found between 7 and 12% of tourists reported sexual harassment, depending on their country of origin [ 63 ]. Kennedy and Flaherty also asserted that up to 4% of Irish citizens reporting sexual violence experience it while travelling [ 64 ]. A review from Canada of all reported sexual assault cases associated with mass gathering events found a significant association between being overseas and being sexually assaulted at such an event [ 65 ]. Table  4 outlines the pre-travel health advice which should be available to travellers who may engage in sex tourism.

Child sex tourism

Klain described two main types of child sex tourist, the “elective sex tourist” who travels for leisure or business and makes unplanned use of child sex workers when given the opportunity, and the “core sex tourist”, the purpose of whose trip is solely to engage in sexual contact with a child [ 66 ]. A study of German tourists conducted in 2017 found that 0.4% reported being child sex tourists [ 67 ]. This same study found that these individuals usually had personal experiences of abuse, paedophilic and antisocial behaviours. With an estimated 1.2 million children trafficked worldwide annually [ 67 ], more research is urgently needed on this topic.

The effects of wealth and mobility on sex tourism

Aggleton et al. describe in their paper a specific group of travellers, “mobile men with money” [ 68 ]. These men come from diverse backgrounds and various employments, but share two common features, high spending power and high mobility. In the paper, these men were said to frequently use their high spending power and resources to engage in casual and transactional sex encounters. This group of men was found to be at high risk for HIV. The paper proposed that these men lacked social support and were frequently influenced by the behaviour of their peers. While further literature on this sub-group is lacking, travel to lower income countries and the resulting increase in spending power for the traveller have been documented as risk factors for acquisition of STI/HIV [ 32 ]. This would suggest that wealth inequality may have a role in influencing risk behaviours in certain individuals.

Impact of sex tourism on host communities

While a detailed consideration of the impact of sex tourists on sex tourism destinations is beyond the scope of the current work, some key issues are worthy of discussion. Local cultural attitudes towards sex tourism are complex and are influenced by harsh economic conditions, where impoverished families may find themselves with few options for survival and have to resort to sending their children to urban centres visited by sex tourists. There may be an expectation in some cultures that children will share the family’s financial burden. Remittances from a family member engaged in the sex tourism industry may be vital to enable families to improve their quality of life.

Child sex tourism produces a detrimental impact on the children’s capacity to achieve their goals within the education system. Sex tourism may reinforce traditional colonial attitudes towards race and gender, which serve to deepen existing socioeconomic inequalities. Local communities are often reluctant to intervene in cases of child sexual exploitation, given the complex underlying economic precipitants and the greater level of public acceptability of prostitution in some countries. Such attitudes render children far more vulnerable to being absorbed by the adult sex trade and becoming sexually exploited by sex tourists, who may use the anonymity afforded by the dark web as a global networking tool to share information with other sex tourists.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to school closures and a higher risk of contact between children and online sexual predators. It has isolated victims of child trafficking and sex tourism from available support structures and jeopardised their usual escape routes. The reported 30% increase in consumption of online child pornography during recent periods of pandemic lockdown in Europe, for example, have further increased the demand for child exploitation [ 69 ]. The current restrictions on international travel will undoubtedly influence sex tourism patterns worldwide, leading to greater degrees of domestic child abuse and online sexual exploitation. Further research may shed a light on this and other COVID-related secondary effects on the sex tourism industry.

Future considerations in sex tourism

While the world prepares for a cautious return to routine international travel in a future post-COVID era [ 70 ], we may ponder what constitutes a traveller or a tourist in the modern era. Opperman proposed the idea of a ‘cyberspace tourist’ in his paper on sex tourism [ 71 ]. While we have not found any further literature on this subject, is a person who sits at a computer in his/her home and pays for a voyeuristic virtual reality experience involving a foreigner thousands of miles away a cyber-sex tourist? With the rapid advancements in technology in recent years, we may contemplate whether people even need to leave their home to “travel”. It is conceivable that future sexual experiences will mirror these changes in travel patterns. With PrEP being a recent development, the role it plays in protecting travellers exposed to HIV overseas remains to be seen. This is a potential area of research activity as it becomes established as a mainstay preventive option. Possible areas of unmet need in sex tourism research are presented in Table  5 .

Limitations of current review

Strengths of our review include its multidisciplinary authorship, its broad coverage of diverse facets of sex tourism, and the focus on the most recent literature on the subject. Limitations of our approach include its restriction to articles published in the English language and the use of a single medical literature database. Accessing literature on sex tourism from Latin America and the Caribbean, using the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature virtual library, for example, may have provided deeper insights into the impact of sex tourism on host communities. It is reasonable to assume that relevant literature on sex tourism resides in the social sciences literature such as the Social Sciences Citation Index of the Web of Science. Future reviews on this topic should also consult an appropriate social sciences database and refer to relevant material from the anthropological literature.

In our review of the literature associated with sex and travel, it was clear that the same set of risk behaviours and consequences applied to diverse groups. We recommend that more research be conducted into novel and effective interventions for modifying these high-risk behaviours. Travellers should be informed of the increased risks of STI before they travel. They should be aware of the prevalence of STIs in the area they plan to visit, and the risks associated with their sexual practices when they travel, including engaging with commercial sex workers, practising chemsex, engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse, and becoming the victim of sexual violence. They should also be informed about how to access appropriate medical care overseas and as returned travellers, should they require it.

Availability of data and materials

All material referenced in the preparation of this work are available from the corresponding author.

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Lu, T.S., Holmes, A., Noone, C. et al. Sun, sea and sex: a review of the sex tourism literature. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 6 , 24 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40794-020-00124-0

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Sun, sea and sex: a review of the sex tourism literature

Timothy siliang lu.

1 School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

Andrea Holmes

2 Saolta University Hospital Healthcare Group, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland

Chris Noone

3 School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

Gerard Thomas Flaherty

4 School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Associated Data

All material referenced in the preparation of this work are available from the corresponding author.

Sex tourism is defined as travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal. While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters. This narrative review explores current concepts related to travel and sex, with a focus on trans-national sex tourism.

The PubMed database was accessed to source relevant literature, using combinations of pertinent search terms. Only articles published in the English language were selected. Reference lists of published articles were also examined for relevant articles.

With regard to preferred destinations, South/Central America and the Caribbean were more likely to receive tourists looking for casual sex. Longer duration of travel, travelling alone or with friends, alcohol or drug use, being younger and being single were factors associated with higher levels of casual sex overseas. The majority of literature retrieved on sex workers focused on risk behaviours, sexually transmitted infections (STI), mobility of sex workers and how these factors affected their lives. Sex tourists require better access to effective methods of preventing HIV, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, and better education on HIV prevention. Drugs and alcohol play a major role as risk factors for and cofactors in casual sexual behaviour while abroad.

Conclusions

Travellers need to be informed of the increased risks of STI before travel. They should be aware of the local prevalence of STIs and the risks associated with their sexual practices when they travel, including engaging with commercial sex workers, having unprotected sexual intercourse and becoming victims of sexual violence.

Prior to the current pandemic of COVID-19, international travel had reached record levels of activity, with 1.4 billion traveller arrivals recorded in 2018 [ 1 ]. Sex and travel have a long association, dating from the ancient world onwards [ 2 ], and their connection is still apparent today. Sex tourism is defined by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal” [ 3 ]. Domestic sex tourism implies travel within the same country, while trans-national sex tourism refers to travel across international boundaries.

While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, which remains illegal in many jurisdictions, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters, typically involving a tourist from an economically developed country seeking sexual experiences in developing host destinations. In some cases, travellers may engage in sex tourism to validate their own sexual identity with greater freedom than would be allowed in their own, more conservative nations. The main source of opposition to sex tourism concerns the troubling phenomenon of child sex tourism, which will be explored later in this review.

The link between travelling and the spread of disease is undeniable, as demonstrated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. As the travel landscape changes in the aftermath of the pandemic, so will the behaviour of travellers. The subject of sex tourism has been neglected to date in the travel medicine literature and receives little attention in the pre-travel health consultation. This narrative review explores current concepts related to travel and sex, with a focus on trans-national sex tourism, while also giving an insight into specific risks and behaviours associated with this activity.

Literature search strategy

The PubMed database was accessed between June 2019 and June 2020 to source relevant literature using combinations of the following search terms: Sex, Tourism, Travel, Migration, Holiday, Abroad, Vacation, Sexually Transmitted Infection, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Prostitution, Drugs, Alcohol, Trafficking, Rape, Child, Military, Navy, Defence Forces, Business, Homosexual, Heterosexual, LGBTQ+, Transgender, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Oceania, Africa. Only articles published in the English language were selected. Articles published within the past 5 years were prioritised. Reference lists of published articles were examined to ensure all relevant articles were included. Relevant sources of grey literature were also retrieved using Google® as a search engine. The legality of prostitution in different international jurisdictions, governmental attempts to regulate the sex tourism industry and the extraterritorial criminalisation of child sex tourism were beyond the scope of the current review.

Epidemiology of sex and travel

In the context of this review, we define casual sex as sexual relations undertaken without serious intent or emotional commitment between individuals who are not established sexual partners or do not know each other well. Men were more likely to seek out or engage in casual or risky sex behaviours (e.g., multiple partners, unprotected intercourse) while travelling [ 4 – 6 ]. As many as 1 in 10 men were recorded as having an overseas partner in a British study [ 6 ], and different categories of male sex tourist have also been proposed in the literature [ 7 ], ranging from the ‘macho lad’ asserting his dominance over foreign women to the ‘white knight’ saving women from commercial sex work. A study from the United States showed that female travellers had a greater preference for travel to European or tropical countries, and that sex was more likely to occur on group tours, sightseeing or backpacking holidays lasting fewer than 14 days [ 8 ]. Female sex tourism has also been described in Caribbean destinations such as Jamaica, with Euro-American women purchasing the services of so-called “Rent-A-Dreads”, local men who seek out relationships with tourist women for economic gain [ 9 ]. Younger women were reported to prefer expatriates and other tourists as sexual partners [ 10 ], while men of all ages and older women were reported to exercise a preference for local partners.

With regards to preferred destinations, a meta-analysis conducted in 2018 showed that South/Central America and the Caribbean were more likely to receive tourists looking for casual sex [ 5 ]. Additionally, Thailand and Cuba also have a prevalent sex tourism industry [ 7 , 11 ]. One study found that 66% of Australian tourists to Thailand were planning on having a sexual encounter while there [ 11 ], while sex tourism in Cuba has been described as “integral to the Cuban experience” [ 12 ]. Traveller subtypes who were more likely to engage in sex included backpackers, travelling businessmen, those visiting friends and relatives (VFR), and those travelling specifically to solicit commercial sex workers [ 5 ]. Factors associated with popular sex tourism destinations are described in Table  1 .

Characteristics of popular sex tourism destinations [ 5 , 13 – 15 ]

STI sexually transmitted infection

Several studies report that longer duration of travel (greater than 1 month), travelling alone or with friends, alcohol or drug use, being younger and being single were factors associated with higher levels of casual sex overseas [ 4 – 6 ]. A study conducted in Sweden reported conflicting data, showing that short term travellers (less than 5 days) were 20 times more likely to engage in casual sex [ 16 ]. While few studies offered information linking different ethnicities to sexual behaviour overseas, one British study found that non-white citizens were more likely to engage in sexual behaviour while travelling [ 6 ]. Migrants and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community are also discussed frequently in the sex tourism literature. A summary of the characteristics associated with sexual risk behaviour is shown in Table  2 . This will be explored further in this review. Studies of travellers engaging in sex with tourism representatives [ 11 ], sex workers and fellow travellers [ 5 ] show that choice of partner while travelling is not limited to any particular demographic.

Summary of the characteristics of a typical sex tourist [ 4 – 6 , 8 , 16 – 23 ]

LGBTQ+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer

Commercial sex work and travel

Travellers may engage in planned or opportunistic interactions with commercial sex workers (CSW). The majority of literature we retrieved on sex workers focused on risk behaviours, sexually transmitted infections (STI), mobility of sex workers and how these factors affected their lives. De et al. examined the different categories of sex worker in the region of Bangui in the Central African Republic, and found that 1 in 4 of ‘Pupulenge’, the higher class sex worker more likely to cater to foreigners, had poor regular usage of condoms in the previous 3 months, but better knowledge of their HIV/AIDS risk and status [ 24 ]. There were similar findings among male sex workers in Jamaica, who regarded themselves more as long term romantic partners of female tourists, and as such had low levels of condom usage [ 13 ]. In addition, these men had reported misuse of alcohol and drugs, and were accustomed to having multiple partners.

Safe sex behaviours were also shown to be highly dependent on the travel destination. A study in Singapore showed that 87.5% of local men used condoms when engaging a sex worker in Singapore, but when travelling the rate dropped to between 44 and 77%, depending on location [ 25 ]. This finding was supported by research from Hong Kong, which also showed that heterosexual men reported lower levels of condom usage when visiting sex workers outside of their own country [ 26 ]. Hsieh et al. [ 27 ] proposed that the clients of sex workers could facilitate the spread of STIs between different nations and networks to a larger degree than sex workers, while also contributing to STI prevalence within their own communities.

An interesting area with limited research evidence is the role sex tourism websites play, with only one paper identified on this subject [ 28 ]. This article analysed various sex tourism websites and found that most displayed sex workers as commodities, to be chosen and paid for by tourists, portraying them as exotic third world women, capable of providing a “total girlfriend experience”, enjoying the company of foreigners and being completely subservient to them. This study proposed that these websites enforce the fiction behind sex tourism and, in doing so, sustain the possible misogynistic views of the sex tourist. It was also noted that any legal or health information on these websites was centred round the tourist, rather than the sex worker.

The risks faced by non-commercial partners of sex workers have also been studied. An examination of CSW in a Mexican border town with high migratory traffic found that unprotected sex was often common in their personal relationships, too [ 29 ]. The literature relating to CSW and travel showed that multiple parties are implicated in commercial sex networks, and the behaviour of any one individual in these networks has implications for many others. Table  3 below summarises these findings.

Summary of commercial sex worker studies

CSW commercial sex workers; STI sexually transmitted infections

Sexually transmitted infections

The association of sex tourism and casual sex during travel with the spread of novel STIs has long been recognised. It has been suggested that Columbus’ sailors were responsible for the epidemic of venereal syphilis in Europe in the late fifteenth century following sexual relations with local Haitian women [ 2 ], while the link between travel and the spread of novel STIs was also established in Thailand in the 1980s [ 30 ], and Trinidad and Tobago in 2012 [ 31 ]. Travellers are also thought to be implicated in the reintroduction of syphilis and lymphogranuloma venereum to parts of North America and Europe [ 25 ]. The risk factors for traveller acquisition of STIs include longer duration of stay, travel to lower income countries, being single, substance abuse, being male, repeat visits to the same area, and a previous history of multiple partners or STIs [ 32 , 33 ]. Crawford et al. identified being female, having a history of fewer sexual partners, and having received pre-travel health advice and vaccinations as being associated with a lower risk of contracting STIs among expatriates and travellers [ 32 ].

While prevalence rates for STIs among CSW vary, rates as high as 88% in Nairobi and 44% in Bangkok have been reported [ 34 ]. In addition to this, high rates of curable STI prevail worldwide, ranging from 5 to 65% in Africa, 20.9% in Brazil and 0–13.6% in Asia [ 10 ]. These findings put sex tourists at very high risk for STIs on a global scale. A diverse range of STIs has been recorded in travellers returning from tropical countries [ 35 ], from frequent detection of genital herpes in sailors returning to China [ 36 ], to the suggested “new” STI Tinea genitalis , found in several individuals with a recent travel sex history in Southeast Asia [ 37 ]. While this type of dermatophyte infection is not primarily an STI, the sudden rise in cases associated with it over a short period highlights how vulnerable travellers are to organisms transferable through intimate contact during travel.

A study examining all cases of gonorrhoea contracted by people living in Nordic nations between 2008 and 2013 showed that 25.5% of all cases were associated with travel [ 14 ]. The rates of travel-associated gonorrhoea increased from year to year and, while the majority of cases involved men, the number of affected women increased from year to year. Among the regions visited, the majority of Nordic travel-associated cases of gonorrhoea were associated with travel to Asia (between December and July) and Europe (from August to November), a third of cases were associated with travel to Thailand, and travel to Thailand, Philippines and Spain accounted for almost half of all travel-related cases. These data imply that specific regions can be considered hotspots for contraction of STIs during travel.

Another important consideration is the acquisition and spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) STIs. In recent years, the rise in AMR involving Haemophilus ducreyi has been documented worldwide [ 10 ]. Similarly, beta-lactamase producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been detected in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. In isolates of N. gonorrhoeae from Africa and Southeast Asia, penicillin resistance has been reported in as many as 50% of isolates. Baker et al. also noted the worldwide spread of azithromycin-resistant shigellosis through sexual transmission, from high prevalence regions in Africa and Asia, to lower prevalence nations [ 38 ]. The documented increase in AMR STIs puts travellers engaging in sexual behaviour at high risk of treatment-resistant infection.

Current efforts to advise and change traveller behaviours have been shown to be of limited effectiveness. A study of different efforts to curtail travellers’ risk behaviour showed that providing brief interventions on sexual health during consults for travellers proved minimally more effective than just distributing condoms or not providing additional advice [ 39 ]. This trial showed that the methods employed still resulted in low levels of condom usage. In a study by Croughs et al., extensive motivational training was shown to reduce sexual risk behaviour, and it was also found that written materials on STIs were more effective than having travel health practitioners discuss STI prevention with travellers [ 40 ]. A change in strategy appears necessary to combat the risk-taking behaviours of travellers, especially given the reported difficulty of reaching target audiences [ 41 ].

This is an important area that warrants further research, given poor recorded levels of condom usage in travellers. A meta-analysis of literature on this subject found that the pooled prevalence of unprotected intercourse among travellers who had sex overseas was 49.4% [ 42 ]. Similar results have been shown among sexually active backpackers visiting Ko Tao and Ko Phangan in Thailand, with a third of subjects reporting inconsistent condom use. An online cross-sectional study of travellers was conducted in 2014 [ 15 ], and among the sexually active population 59.7% reported inconsistent condom use. A study of condom usage among Swedish travellers revealed flawed reasoning for decisions around condom usage, such as length of familiarity with partner, the country visited, and asking if their partner had an STI [ 43 ]. This same study also revealed that some travellers succumbed to peer pressure, were more willing to let their partner make the decision, and had a fear of being seen as promiscuous (among heterosexual women) or a fear of ‘ruining the moment’ (among heterosexual men), leading to reduced condom usage. Other factors associated with reduced usage were the belief that foreign condoms were of poorer quality [ 34 ], spontaneous sexual encounters or embarrassment at purchasing condoms [ 43 ], substance use [ 15 , 32 , 43 ], and travel to Latin America or the Caribbean [ 15 ]. An examination of male sex tourists to Thailand also revealed that unprotected sex was seen as more masculine and enjoyable, and there was a general misconception among male sex tourists that unprotected heterosexual intercourse was a low risk activity [ 44 ]. This same study also showed that male heterosexual sex tourists were aware of risks, but due to their own personal or peer experiences being at variance with the warnings they received regarding risky sexual behaviour, they were more likely to engage in unprotected sex with CSW. The low rates of condom usage put sexually active travellers at an obvious risk for contraction of STIs.

It is accepted that contracting an STI increases the risk of HIV transmission, and vice versa [ 45 ]. A Geosentinel analysis from 2013 indicated that, out of a sample of 64,335 travellers, 117 returned home with acute symptoms of HIV transmission [ 46 ]. In addition, links between clusters of HIV acquisition in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have been found. This finding highlighted the role migration and travel play in the transmission of HIV within Central America. This study also found half of Honduran woman sampled with HIV belonged to viral clusters that were linked to international clusters. Memish and Osoba also noted in their paper on STIs and travel that travellers to Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and India were most likely to acquire HIV from unprotected sexual encounters [ 2 ]. The voluminous literature relating to STIs and travel indicates that this is an area of key importance to the travel medicine practitioner. While the effectiveness to date of interventions in altering risk behaviours in travellers has been questionable, it is clear that travellers require better access to effective methods of preventing HIV, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and better education on HIV prevention.

The LGBTQ+ community and travel sex behaviour

A meta-analysis published in 2018 revealed that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) travellers were 3 times more likely to have casual sex while travelling [ 5 ]. Travel or migration may allow members of the LGBTQ+ community to escape from societal pressures they face in their home countries and explore their sexuality [ 17 ]. MSM are also more likely than heterosexual men to have multiple partners during their travels. MSM have also shown to be at least twice as likely to pay for sex compared to heterosexual men [ 10 ]. A report on MSM travellers in the United States also found that 19.4% of those surveyed reported that having sex with a new partner was one of their main goals while on vacation [ 18 ]. Further studies in the US on MSM travellers to Key West, a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travellers in Florida, found that of the sexually active participants, 34% had new partners, and 59% had unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) [ 19 ]. Among Swedish MSM travellers, 13.5% reported UAI during their overseas travels, the majority of whom met a new partner abroad [ 20 ]. Additional studies in China involving MSM found that 5% identified as sex tourists, a third of this group identified the purchase of sex as a primary reason for travel, and another third had UAI while travelling [ 21 ].

While limited research exists on other categories of travellers within the LGBTQ+ community, one paper on transgender women in Bangladesh revealed that those who crossed international borders had a greater number of transactional sex partners and reduced use of condoms [ 22 ]. Across all of these studies, regular associations between travel and drug and alcohol use, transactional sex, group sex, a history of STIs and a greater number of past partners were reported [ 18 – 23 ].

Another interesting area of development in LGBTQ+ international travel trends is the resurgence of circuit parties [ 47 ]. These parties involve weekend-long social activities and dance events. Party-goers were found more likely to have a greater number of partners in the previous 6 months, greater use of recreational drugs, more likely to seek transactional sex, and more likely to report a personal history of STI and UAI. A common finding with these parties was attendees travelling from low HIV prevalence countries to high prevalence countries. This finding was replicated among Chinese MSM travellers [ 21 ]. These social events are commonly associated with the use of drugs which heighten sexual arousal, an activity referred to as ‘chemsex’.

Networks of MSM travellers have also been described around the world. A group of MSM referred to as “Geoflexibles” was identified by Gesink et al. in 2018 [ 48 ]. The authors described a group of men who were willing to travel for sex, and who were less particular about where they had sex. Gesink proposed that these travellers could act as a bridge between MSM in Toronto and, although his study did not specifically mention international travel, it is certainly applicable in the travel context. Networks of MSM implicated in the transmission of STIs and HIV have been suggested in the literature. Persson et al. suggested the presence of a network in Sweden with a high prevalence of STI/HIV [ 20 ], and an examination of HIV clusters in Central America found that half of the people living with HIV were MSM, with serotypes closely related to international clusters [ 49 ]. The suggestion of international MSM networks and travel playing a role in the dispersion of STI/HIV was reinforced by Takebe et al. in 2014 [ 50 ]. Their research revealed the worldwide dispersal of the JP.MSM.B1 subtype of HIV, and confirmed the interactions of HIV epidemics between Japan, China and the rest of the world. These networks have also been implicated in Shigella transmission in San Francisco [ 51 ], in addition to an outbreak of Hepatitis A in Northern Italy [ 52 ].

These findings have implications for LGBTQ+ travellers who engage in sexual behaviour while abroad. Mathematical modelling of LGBTQ+ tourists to Key West estimated that 1 in 196.5 MSM who engage in risk behaviour will acquire HIV [ 19 ], roughly equating to 200 new infections per 100,000 tourists, a number which could drop to as low as 45 with consistent condom use. In 77% of sexual interactions in this study, HIV serostatus was not discussed. Studies about MSM travellers in San Francisco showed that, among those who engaged in casual sex, there was a decreased probability of HIV serodisclosure when communication was an issue owing to language barriers [ 53 ]. A follow up study was conducted on the health-seeking behaviour of MSM travellers, revealing that a quarter of those surveyed had not received the Hepatitis B virus vaccine, and of the men living with HIV, a third had not been vaccinated [ 54 ].

Another facet of the intersection between sex tourism and HIV transmission that warrants attention is the relatively new phenomenon of “holiday pre-exposure prophylaxis” (PrEP) for HIV. With PrEP being a relatively new phenomenon, limited literature exists on the subject in relation to travel, but interviews conducted by Underhill et al. suggest that MSM travellers regard themselves as at greater risk for HIV while travelling and are more willing to take PrEP [ 55 ]. However, travel has also been associated with disruption in PrEP regimens due to inconvenience [ 56 , 57 ], so the role it plays in sex tourism warrants further research.

Travel for the purposes of sexual exploration and casual sex among MSM presents a challenge to travel medicine practitioners. Analysis of Swedish MSM travellers in 2015 revealed that there was little HIV or STI prevention information received in Sweden or abroad [ 58 ]. In addition, only 3% of the surveyed population sought out this information before travelling. A further investigation of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of MSM travellers is required to plan successful interventions in this population of international travellers. More research on how sex tourism is experienced by women and gender diverse people within the LGBTQ+ community is also warranted.

The effects of alcohol and drugs on sex tourism

Drugs and alcohol play a major role as risk factors for and cofactors in casual sexual behaviour while abroad. A study of British summer workers in Ibiza found that almost all those surveyed drank alcohol, while 85.3% used drugs during their stay, a high proportion of whom used drugs that they had never tried before [ 59 ]. This study found that the odds of having sex increased with the use of amphetamines or higher frequency of drinking, while the odds of having multiple partners increased with greater frequency of drinking. Unprotected sex was also found to be more likely when alcohol was involved.

Extensive analysis of American students on Spring Break has also been conducted to analyse the role alcohol plays in high risk behaviour during this period. Patrick et al. found that a greater proportion of students drank alcohol before having sex or making risky sexual decisions [ 60 ]. This finding was particularly prevalent among students who travelled abroad. Another study of Spring Break students found that risky behaviours such as unprotected sex or multiple partners were cumulative [ 61 ], such that engaging in one activity increased risk for the other. Almost half of the students in this study reported binge drinking before sex. The role alcohol and drugs play in exposing travellers to risky sexual behaviour is clear, but this appears to be poorly appreciated by the traveller. Travel health practitioners must emphasise the risks travellers expose themselves to when misusing alcohol and drugs.

Sexual assault and violence in travellers

A cross-sectional survey on travellers returning from Mediterranean resorts reported that 1.5% were subject to non-consensual sex during their travels, with gay and bisexual males reporting higher levels [ 62 ]. In this same report, 8.6% of respondents experienced some form of sexual harassment, with females and gay/bisexual males more frequently reporting this. Another finding was that being a gay/bisexual male, using marijuana, and patronising bars where there were opportunities for sex were factors associated with being subject to non-consensual sex. A similar study on the harassment of tourists in Barbados found between 7 and 12% of tourists reported sexual harassment, depending on their country of origin [ 63 ]. Kennedy and Flaherty also asserted that up to 4% of Irish citizens reporting sexual violence experience it while travelling [ 64 ]. A review from Canada of all reported sexual assault cases associated with mass gathering events found a significant association between being overseas and being sexually assaulted at such an event [ 65 ]. Table  4 outlines the pre-travel health advice which should be available to travellers who may engage in sex tourism.

Pre-travel health recommendations

STI sexually transmitted infection; HIV human immunodeficiency virus; PrEP pre-exposure prophylaxis

Child sex tourism

Klain described two main types of child sex tourist, the “elective sex tourist” who travels for leisure or business and makes unplanned use of child sex workers when given the opportunity, and the “core sex tourist”, the purpose of whose trip is solely to engage in sexual contact with a child [ 66 ]. A study of German tourists conducted in 2017 found that 0.4% reported being child sex tourists [ 67 ]. This same study found that these individuals usually had personal experiences of abuse, paedophilic and antisocial behaviours. With an estimated 1.2 million children trafficked worldwide annually [ 67 ], more research is urgently needed on this topic.

The effects of wealth and mobility on sex tourism

Aggleton et al. describe in their paper a specific group of travellers, “mobile men with money” [ 68 ]. These men come from diverse backgrounds and various employments, but share two common features, high spending power and high mobility. In the paper, these men were said to frequently use their high spending power and resources to engage in casual and transactional sex encounters. This group of men was found to be at high risk for HIV. The paper proposed that these men lacked social support and were frequently influenced by the behaviour of their peers. While further literature on this sub-group is lacking, travel to lower income countries and the resulting increase in spending power for the traveller have been documented as risk factors for acquisition of STI/HIV [ 32 ]. This would suggest that wealth inequality may have a role in influencing risk behaviours in certain individuals.

Impact of sex tourism on host communities

While a detailed consideration of the impact of sex tourists on sex tourism destinations is beyond the scope of the current work, some key issues are worthy of discussion. Local cultural attitudes towards sex tourism are complex and are influenced by harsh economic conditions, where impoverished families may find themselves with few options for survival and have to resort to sending their children to urban centres visited by sex tourists. There may be an expectation in some cultures that children will share the family’s financial burden. Remittances from a family member engaged in the sex tourism industry may be vital to enable families to improve their quality of life.

Child sex tourism produces a detrimental impact on the children’s capacity to achieve their goals within the education system. Sex tourism may reinforce traditional colonial attitudes towards race and gender, which serve to deepen existing socioeconomic inequalities. Local communities are often reluctant to intervene in cases of child sexual exploitation, given the complex underlying economic precipitants and the greater level of public acceptability of prostitution in some countries. Such attitudes render children far more vulnerable to being absorbed by the adult sex trade and becoming sexually exploited by sex tourists, who may use the anonymity afforded by the dark web as a global networking tool to share information with other sex tourists.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to school closures and a higher risk of contact between children and online sexual predators. It has isolated victims of child trafficking and sex tourism from available support structures and jeopardised their usual escape routes. The reported 30% increase in consumption of online child pornography during recent periods of pandemic lockdown in Europe, for example, have further increased the demand for child exploitation [ 69 ]. The current restrictions on international travel will undoubtedly influence sex tourism patterns worldwide, leading to greater degrees of domestic child abuse and online sexual exploitation. Further research may shed a light on this and other COVID-related secondary effects on the sex tourism industry.

Future considerations in sex tourism

While the world prepares for a cautious return to routine international travel in a future post-COVID era [ 70 ], we may ponder what constitutes a traveller or a tourist in the modern era. Opperman proposed the idea of a ‘cyberspace tourist’ in his paper on sex tourism [ 71 ]. While we have not found any further literature on this subject, is a person who sits at a computer in his/her home and pays for a voyeuristic virtual reality experience involving a foreigner thousands of miles away a cyber-sex tourist? With the rapid advancements in technology in recent years, we may contemplate whether people even need to leave their home to “travel”. It is conceivable that future sexual experiences will mirror these changes in travel patterns. With PrEP being a recent development, the role it plays in protecting travellers exposed to HIV overseas remains to be seen. This is a potential area of research activity as it becomes established as a mainstay preventive option. Possible areas of unmet need in sex tourism research are presented in Table  5 .

Sex tourism research priorities

PrEP pre-exposure prophylaxis

Limitations of current review

Strengths of our review include its multidisciplinary authorship, its broad coverage of diverse facets of sex tourism, and the focus on the most recent literature on the subject. Limitations of our approach include its restriction to articles published in the English language and the use of a single medical literature database. Accessing literature on sex tourism from Latin America and the Caribbean, using the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature virtual library, for example, may have provided deeper insights into the impact of sex tourism on host communities. It is reasonable to assume that relevant literature on sex tourism resides in the social sciences literature such as the Social Sciences Citation Index of the Web of Science. Future reviews on this topic should also consult an appropriate social sciences database and refer to relevant material from the anthropological literature.

In our review of the literature associated with sex and travel, it was clear that the same set of risk behaviours and consequences applied to diverse groups. We recommend that more research be conducted into novel and effective interventions for modifying these high-risk behaviours. Travellers should be informed of the increased risks of STI before they travel. They should be aware of the prevalence of STIs in the area they plan to visit, and the risks associated with their sexual practices when they travel, including engaging with commercial sex workers, practising chemsex, engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse, and becoming the victim of sexual violence. They should also be informed about how to access appropriate medical care overseas and as returned travellers, should they require it.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the assistance received from Dr. Amy Abrahams and Dr. Stuart MacLeod in identifying appropriate source material for an earlier version of this manuscript.

Authors’ contributions

GTF conceived the idea for the review. GTF and AH planned the literature search strategy. TSL conducted the literature search with assistance from GTF, AH and CN. TSL prepared the first draft of the manuscript, which was edited for significant intellectual content by GTF, AH and CN. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

None received.

Availability of data and materials

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors state that they have no conflicts of interest to declasre.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Sex Tourism in Latin America

by Ann Barger Hannum | Dec 22, 2002

Sex tourism—travel to engage in sex for money—shares a lengthy and sometimes colorful history with that of adventure travel and tourism in general. Literature investigating early travel involving sexual encounters includes stories dating to explorations by Columbus in the 15th century. Considerable research supports the theory that, along with potatoes, tobacco, and other commodities, Columbus and his crew also brought the first cases of syphilis to the New World. Among other early journeys abroad that were enhanced by sexual revelries were the “Grand Tours,” trips taken across Europe by young aristocratic men and women during the during the 18th and 19th centuries in order to broaden their understanding of culture and the arts. These adventurous young people often supplemented their cultural experience with that of a sexual nature through liaisons with people they met while traveling.

When travel opportunities opened up to a growing segment of the middle class in the mid-19th century, including that of the United States, sex tourism evolved into a common activity. As many European countries became wealthier, clients expanded their search for sex into other regions, such as the Caribbean and northern Africa, where prices for sex were more moderate. The growth of sex tourism has also had a strong correlation with military conquest and the presence of foreign military bases. Prostitution proliferated near British military bases worldwide during the latter part of the 18th century and emerged more recently near US military bases in Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, establishing these areas as preferred destinations for sex. In the 1940s and 1950s, Cuba was the destination of large numbers of American male sex tourists. Prostitution became illegal after the revolution but started to flourish again in the 1990s, when economic conditions forced Castro to reopen the tourism industry.

The expansion of sex tourism has continued unabated, in part as a result of the promotion of tourism as a development strategy, particularly in the developing world, where poverty forces people into sex work. Resource-scarce regions, including many Latin American countries, where tourism has experienced considerable support from the government, have proven to be fertile areas for the growth of sex tourism. Until the tragic events of September 11, tourism had been increasing steadily worldwide, with Latin American countries among those enjoying rising figures. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) reports that the total number of visitors to Latin America and the Caribbean grew by 6.1 percent last year to 57.6 million. Research indicates that as countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua have increased efforts to promote tourism on a wide scale, sex tourism has risen proportionately.

Today, sex tourism is a multibillion dollar industry that supports an international workforce estimated to number in the millions. Because prostitution is illegal in most countries, exact statistics about sex workers, their international clients, and the money generated within the industry itself are unavailable. Employees benefiting from the sex tourism industry include female and male sex workers as well as—directly or indirectly—members of the entire travel and tourism sectors, from taxi drivers to airline, hotel, and restaurant employees. Sex tourism most commonly involves female prostitution, but, most disturbingly, increasingly involves the sexual exploitation of children, which is outlawed universally. Whether sex tourism among consenting adults is a “victimless crime” remains a point of contention. Excluding some “escorts” working for elite agencies and high wages, sex workers almost always suffer from poverty, marginalization, violence, disease, and sexual and substance abuse.

Sex tourism is increasing worldwide, but particularly in Latin American, especially in Central America. In part, the shift in destinations can be attributed to the crackdown in Asia by organizations such as the WTO, End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), and the United Nations. Sex tourism—especially that involving exploitation of children—sought areas where laws are less restrictive and government surveillance less diligent.

Brazil has long been thought of as the region’s leader in sex tourism, but recent evidence highlights emerging business in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Julia O’Connell Davidson, one of the most knowledgeable experts on the subject of sex tourism, cites a 1994 study estimating that more than 30,000 Americans and several thousand more Canadians had retired to Costa Rica. Many of the single men among them were described as “sex-pats,” expatriates who retired there not just for the climate, tax breaks, and other advantages but also for the “easy and cheap sexual access to their preferred sexual objects.” “What we are seeing is the dark side of tourism,” said Heimo Laakkonen, head of UNICEF in Costa Rica, where tourism is the most profitable industry in the country.

While views of sex-for-sale between consenting adults vary considerably, the arena of child sex tourism is disturbing to all. ECPAT estimates that more than one million children worldwide enter the sex trade annually, many of them from Latin American countries. The organization estimated, for example, that in 1994, 500,000 children in Brazil were involved in the sex industry, and more recently, the Colombian Ministry of Justice reported at least 25,000 child prostitutes in that country. The UN Human Rights Committee recently expressed concern over the “high incidence of commercial sexual exploitation of children in Costa Rica related to tourism”. Casa Alianza, a non-profit advocacy group for street children in Mexico and Central America, estimates that some 5,000 street children in Honduras are involved in sex tourism. Similar problems exist in Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.

The reasons for the growth in the child sex tourism trade in Latin America and elsewhere are numerous and often mirror those in the adult sex tourism industry. According to the Preda Foundation, prostitution among the estimated 40 million street children in Latin America has long been a consequence of the region’s poverty. A recent study of 300 street children by Nicaragua’s Family Ministry revealed that more than 80 percent of them had started working as prostitutes that year to support themselves and to buy drugs. Typically, many thousands of these children have fled abusive homes.

The increase in the child sex trade is also commonly attributed to the mistaken impression that younger sex workers are less likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV or AIDS, although figures often dispute this belief.

Another possible reason for the rise in child sex tourism is that clients often feel less inhibited outside the constraints of their home countries and may be attracted by what they feel to be less restrictive social taboos in other countries. Like their adult counterparts, child sex workers are also frequently lured into the trade by advertisements for lucrative jobs, travel, and an exciting lifestyle. One of the greatest boosts to sex tourism overall has been the availability of information on the Internet related to the sex industry. Some Web sites are accessible to the general public, while others, such as the World Sex Archives Web page, require membership and dues to access their database of photos and bulletin boards of messages from other sex tourists. Child pornography and prostitution of any kind are illegal on the Internet, and international efforts to shut down related Web sites have been reasonably successful. However, lawmakers have been unable to agree on whether and how to prohibit the advertisement of adult sex tours, especially since prostitution is legal in many countries, such as Costa Rica.

Since the 1990s, ECPAT and other members of the nongovernmental, governmental, and private sectors worldwide have been collaborating to raise awareness about sex tourism and to take steps toward eradicating child sex tourism. These groups have initiated campaigns that include the use of luggage tags, ticket pouches, and educational brochures, along with the development of courses in tourism training schools and in-flight videos. In 1997, Brazil launched a “No Child Sex Tourism” campaign, since adopted by the WTO, to curtail sex tourism and enforce laws imposing jail sentences on foreigners caught purchasing sex from children. In January 2000, Mexico enacted an amendment of the federal penal code and code procedures that declared sex tourism to be a punishable crime.

Latin American countries share with others in the international community the enormous and complex challenges posed by the growing sex tourism industry. Even if they are united in their determination to eliminate all forms of exploitation of children, countries nevertheless need to agree on more effective and expedient means of regulating the entire sex tourism industry. Sex tourism among adults remains a complex topic involving issues of privacy, consent, religious and ethical beliefs, and human rights. Only through international cooperation can the sex tourism industry be regulated successfully and millions of children be protected against exploitation.

Winter 2002 ,  Volume I, Number 2

Ann Barger Hannum , project manager and consultant, has been affiliated with Harvard for the past ten years, most recently at the Harvard AIDS Institute. The author thanks Julia M. Green, project associate for the Community Research Initiative of New England, for her collaboration with this article.

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Illegal/Legal

Limited Legality

Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal 2024

Prostitution is estimated to involve around 42 million people worldwide, with legality varying by country.

European countries like Germany exhibit progressive approaches to prostitution, legalizing and regulating the industry, while emphasizing sex workers' rights and protections.

In Asia, countries such as Thailand and Japan present a contrast between official laws and practical enforcement, with thriving sex industries despite legal restrictions.

Prostitution is the practice, business, or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone in exchange for payment. There are an estimated 42 million prostitutes around the world.

Prostitution occurs in a variety of forms, and its legality varies from country to country (sometimes even from one state or county to another). This inconsistency reflects the wide range of national opinions that exist on issues surrounding prostitution, including exploitation, gender roles, ethics and morality, freedom of choice, and social norms.

Prostitution is seen as a major issue by many religious groups and feminist activist organizations. Some feminists believe that prostitution harms and exploits women and reinforces stereotypical views about women as sex objects. Other feminists believe that prostitution is a valid choice for women who wish to engage in it.

Various legal stances on prostitution

Similarly, the world's countries have adopted many different legal approaches regarding exactly which aspects of prostitution are legal or illegal and how best to regulate or eliminate the industry.

  • Prohibitionism - Prostitution is illegal (prohibited/criminalized) across the board. Selling, buying, organizing (via brothels, pimps, etc), and soliciting sex for money are all against the law. This approach is common in deeply religious countries, especially countries that outlaw pornography .
  • Neo-abolitionism - This philosophy considers prostitution to be violence against women. Selling sex is technically legal—but buying, organizing, and soliciting sex are all illegal. Prostitutes are considered legally blameless when caught in the act, but their clients and pimps (the prostitute's "organizer" or boss) are prosecuted. This "reverse loophole" is designed to suppress demand.
  • Abolitionism - The most prevalent approach worldwide. Selling sex and buying sex are both legal. However, in an effort to prevent exploitation of the sex worker, public solicitation; the operation of brothels; and forms of "organization" such as pimping, procuring, and forced prostitution are all usually prohibited.
  • Legalization - Selling, buying, and some forms of organizing (typically brothels) and soliciting of sex are legal. But they are also regulated, such as requiring prostitutes to register or only allowing prostitution in certain districts.
  • Decriminalization - Selling, buying, organizing, and solicitation of sex are all legal (or simply not addressed in the law at all) and are subject to minimal or no special regulations.
  • Some countries, such as Australia and the United States , state and local governments may have additional laws regarding prostitution.

It is important to note that a country's laws often fail to paint an accurate picture of the level of prostitution in that country.

For instance, sex workers in many neo-abolitionist countries have found loopholes that have enabled prostitution to thrive despite the seemingly strict laws—for example, prostitutes may offer a perfectly legal service, such as a dance session, that just happens to progress to a sex act as an off-the-clock bonus. Similarly, local law enforcement often takes an opposite stance on prostitution. Especially in tourist areas, local law enforcement is often tolerant of prostitution despite laws that prohibit it ... conversely, law enforcement personnel may harrass, shake down, or even abuse sex workers in countries that have legalized prostitution.

A brief survey of prostitution laws in various countries

Prostitution in Canada is legal with strict regulations. Under the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act , it is legal to communicate with the intention of selling sex; however, it is illegal to communicate with the intention of buying sex and illegal to purchase sex services. It is legal for sex workers to advertise their own services, but not others' services. It is also illegal to sell sex near any area where a minor (under 18) could reasonably be expected to be present, such as schools, playgrounds, etc. These are just a few of the provisions in the law.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but the laws are ambiguous and often unenforced. As a result, red-light districts, massage parlors, go-go bars, and sex-focused karaoke bars are common sights. Sex work in Thailand is a significant economic incentive for many citizens, especially rural, unskilled women with financial burdens.

Engaging in prostitution as a buyer or seller is technically illegal in Japan. However, because the legal definition of prostitution is extremely narrow and specific (vaginal intercourse with a stranger), sex workers have devised a cornucopia of loopholes and end-arounds. These include "Soaplands", where guests are bathed by prostitutes; offering oral, anal, mammary, or some other form of non-vaginal intercourse; and "fashion health" or "delivery health" services, which sell legal services such as a massage and unofficially throw in a sex act as a freebie. As such, prostitution in Japan is prohibited, but thriving.

In one of the more progressive approaches worldwide, prostitution in Germany is legal, organized, and taxed. Germany also allows brothels, advertisements, and the processing of prostitution jobs through HR companies. Germany passed the Prostitutes Protection Act in 2016, which was intended to protect the legal rights of prostitutes. Part of the Act includes requiring a permit for all prostitution trades and a registration certificate for all prostitutes.

The legality of prostitution in Australia varies considerably from one states or territory to another, as each have their own laws. In New South Wales , prostitution is almost completely decriminalized (though pimping is still illegal). In Queensland , Tasmania and Victoria , sex work is legal and regulated. In Western Australia , Northern Territory , and South Australia , independent sex work is legal and not regulated, but brothels and pimping are illegal.

Prostitution is legal under federal law in Mexico. The country’s 31 states each enact their own prostitution policies, and 13 of those states allow and regulate prostitution. Some cities have “tolerance zones,” which act as red-light districts and enable regulated prostitution. Pimping is illegal in most parts of Mexico.

United States

Where is prostitution legal in the United States? Prostitution is illegal everywhere in the U.S. except for 10 counties in Nevada . Brothels are permitted in counties where prostitution is legal, and both brothels and prostitutes are subject to federal income taxes. Prostitution is illegal in the remaining Nevada counties: Clark, Douglas, Eureka, Lincoln , Pershing, and Washoe. Las Vegas and Reno are located within Clark and Washoe county, respectively, meaning prostitution is illegal in both cities. Nonetheless, the majority of prostitution in Nevada occurs illegally in Reno and Las Vegas.

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Which countries have made prostitution legal?

Frequently asked questions.

  • CIA's World Factbook - Countries and Their Prostitution Policies - ProCon.org
  • Sex Work Law by Country - Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme
  • Prostitution is legal in countries across Europe, but it's nothing like what you think - Business Insider
  • Prostitution Law - Wiki
  • Prostitution by Country - Wiki
  • Prostitution by Region - Wiki

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Ways You'll Get Arrested in Colombia

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Following the arrest of an Australian traveller in Colombia on drug-trafficking charges, there has been an increased media spotlight on the South American country and its drug laws. While it’s rare for a traveller in Colombia to commit such a serious crime, visitors can sometimes end up on the wrong side of the law. The good news is that it’s not hard to avoid getting arrested in Colombia: simply steer clear of the following, and you can enjoy your time here in peace , instead of in a jail cell.

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Buying Drugs

Colombia’s reputation as the world capital of cocaine production has sadly turned it into a popular place for travellers to attempt to buy and consume the drug. There seems to be an attitude among visitors that buying cocaine in Colombia is somehow more acceptable than elsewhere, and consequently it is all too common for travellers to find out the hard way that this is simply not the case. While possession of very small amounts of cocaine carries no penalty, the punishment for being caught buying or consuming it can be swift and strong, and those caught can easily end up in jail.

Drug Trafficking

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Bribing a Policeman

It’s a common assumption for travellers in Colombia that you can get away with almost any crime by simply quietly offering a fistful of banknotes to the arresting officer. While this can sometimes be the case, Colombia is currently taking steps to crack down on corruption, and attempting to bribe a member of the police or armed forces is a crime. It is also illegal for police to solicit bribes (over 400 police were removed from their posts over corruption charges in the first three months of 2016), so consider reporting any officer who tries to shake you down.

Animal Trafficking

As one of the worlds most biodiverse countries, Colombia faces a massive battle against animal trafficking, with police arresting over 5,000 traffickers in the first nine months of 2016 alone. From tiny fish larvae hidden in ink pens to giant shipments of crocodiles, iguanas, and monkeys, animal trafficking represents a huge threat to Colombia’s natural diversity. With a maximum punishment of between 48 and 108 months’ jail time, trading in or illegally possessing wildlife is a surefire way to get arrested.

Child Prostitution

Although prostitution in Colombia is legal in designated “tolerance zones,” the country’s struggles with war and internal displacement have left minors vulnerable. Due to the sad trend towards so-called “child sex tourists,” the Colombian government has strengthened its efforts to stamp out the practice, with warning posters commonly seen in hotels and hostels, and the imposition of heavy jail sentences. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of travellers would never dream of engaging in this activity; however, it is also important to be vigilant and to report any signs of child exploitation to the police.

Facilitating Sexual Tourism

A sad trend relating to Colombia’s lax laws on prostitution, sexual tourism has become rife in major Colombia cities such as Medellin and Cartagena. While prostitution might be legal in Colombia, pimping or organizing sexual tourism is not: Medellin recently began a crackdown, with the arrest of a foreign sex-tourism provider. Some people might see the popularity of sexual tourism in Colombia as a business opportunity, but don’t be fooled: the law provides penalties of three to eight years’ imprisonment for facilitating these activities.

Dealing in Antiquities

With a number of UNESCO-certified world heritage sites such as San Agustin and Tierradentro, Colombia takes the safeguarding of its archaeological patrimony incredibly seriously. There are many laws and decrees forbidding selling, purchasing, or removing antiquities from the country. While this might not seem like an activity that most travellers would engage in, it’s easier than you might think to become embroiled in this illegal trade: travellers to San Agustin and Tierradentro have often reported being offered antiquities by unscrupulous tour guides. The punishment for possessing these items might not be long jail terms, but avoid the risk and say no.

Drinking in Public

The laws regarding public alcohol consumption in Colombia can often be confusing for travellers: it is common to see people drinking beer in public in certain squares in large cities, often in front of the police. However, strictly speaking, drinking in public is illegal, and the decision about whether to enforce the law is entirely at the discretion of the officers in question. You are unlikely to be arrested or serve any jail time if the police choose to make an example of you, but public drinking can carry a hefty fine, so it’s advisable to err on the side of caution and not take any chances.

Taking an Uber

Uber

This is a weird one, but since their failure to register formally as a taxi company, Uber is illegal in Colombia . It can be confusing for travellers when their Uber arrives and the driver insists that they sit in the front seat or, in more extreme cases, jumps out to hug them. This is a common way for the drivers to avoid being detected by the police by making it appear that they are a friend of the passenger, helping them out with a lift to the airport. Taking an Uber is a crime that won’t necessarily get you arrested in Colombia, but being caught using Uber does carry a small fine. Apart from that, it’s always a nuisance to have to deal with the police during a trip abroad, so use the app with caution, or download an app such as Tappsi which will connect you with regular city cabs.

Overstaying your Visa

Always keep a stash of your passport and visa copies at hand.

Travellers to Colombia are automatically entitled to a 90-day tourist visa (issued as a passport stamp) upon arrival in the country. After this period, it is possible to visit a migration office and extend your visa by a further 90 days for a small fee. However, the maximum amount of time a foreigner visitor is allowed in Colombia is 180 days in a calendar year: once you exceed this you’ll need to leave or get a work visa. It is quite common for travellers to exceed these numbers, whether by mistake, or by operating under the assumption that it’s no big deal. Once again, you won’t end up in jail, but you are likely to be on the sharp end of an eye-watering fine. Keep an eye on those dates!

Saying You Prefer Venezuelan Arepas to Colombian Ones

Not actually illegal, strictly speaking. But just try it and see what the reaction is: you might feel like you’ve committed a crime! The same rules apply for suggesting that James Rodríguez isn’t actually the best footballer in the world, spelling Colombia as “Columbia,” and insinuating that Colombian cheese could be improved.

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What are ‘sex’ and ‘gender’? How these terms have changed and why states now want to define them

Although they’re sometimes used synonymously, ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ have different meanings to medical professionals.

sex tourism rules

After decades of creating laws that assumed “sex” and “gender” were synonymous, lawmakers across the country are taking another look at how states define those terms.

Scientific and legal interpretations of these words have evolved considerably in the past century. Today , medical experts understand biological sex assigned at birth as more complex and consider it distinct from gender identity.

In 2020, the Supreme Court also broadened its understanding of sex discrimination in employment to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Grappling with this cultural, scientific, and legal shift in the meaning of “sex” and “gender,” lawmakers in some states have tried defining the terms narrowly in state law as biological and binary. In 2023, four states passed such laws and, this year, 17 states introduced bills defining “sex.” Some bills in Florida and West Virginia were defeated, but 15 bills are still advancing in states across the country.

This focus on terminology may seem rhetorical, but these legislative changes can restrict access to driver’s licenses and documents that match a person’s gender identity. Transgender rights advocates say that requiring IDs to match the sex a person was assigned at birth can expose transgender Americans to discrimination.

So, how do we understand these terms, and what could these definitions mean for everyday life once codified?

How have the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ evolved?

Until the mid-20th century, Americans’ understanding of “sex” was largely biological and binary.

“For a substantial time period, law in the United States defined identity categories, such as race and sex, in biological terms,” said Darren Hutchinson, an law professor at Emory University law professor.

In the 1950s and ’60s, psychological research emerged that differentiated biological sex from “gender.” Researchers coined terms such as “gender roles” as they studied people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that didn’t fit the typical definitions of male or female and observed how children sometimes developed identity distinct from their biological sex.

By the early 1960s, the term “gender identity” began appearing in academic literature. By 1980, “gender identity disorder of childhood” was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ third edition. This inclusion signaled that the concept of gender identity “was part of the accepted nomenclature being used,” said Dr. Jack Drescher, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.

Before the 1970s, the word “ gender ” was rarely used in American English, according to research by Stefan Th. Gries, a linguistics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He said evidence suggests it was used mostly when discussing grammar to describe the “gender” of a noun in Spanish, for example.

Edward Schiappa, a professor of communication and rhetoric at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, observed in his book “The Transgender Exigency” that the rising use of “gender” in English coincided with the term’s introduction into psychological literature and its adoption by the feminist movement. Feminists saw the term as useful for describing the cultural aspects of being a “woman” as different from the biological aspects, he said.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg , who argued sex discrimination cases before the court in the 1970s, said that she intentionally used the term “ gender discrimination ” because it lacked the salacious overtones “sex” has.

After the 1980s, gender’s term usage rose rapidly, moving beyond academic and activist circles. In common American English, “sex” and “gender” began to be used more interchangeably, including in state law — sometimes even in the same section of the law.

In Florida’s chapter on driver’s licenses, for example, the section on new license applications uses “gender,” but the section on replacement licenses uses “sex.”

Modern legal and scientific views of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’

Today , medical experts and most major medical organizations agree that sex and gender are different.

Sex is a biological category determined by physical features such as genes, hormones and genitalia. People are male, female or sometimes have reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of male or female, often called intersex.

Gender is different , experts say. Gender identity refers to someone’s internal sense of being a man, woman, or a nonbinary gender . For cisgender people, their sex and gender are the same, while transgender people may experience a mismatch between the two — their gender may not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.

Our legal understanding of “sex discrimination” has also evolved.

In 2020, the Supreme Court decided Bostock v. Clayton County , a series of cases in which employers were accused of firing employees for being gay or transgender. The court held that this was a form of “sex discrimination” prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Whether the court will extend this interpretation to other areas of federal law is unclear, legal experts told us.

How have lawmakers responded to this shift?

Recently, lawmakers have tried to codify their understandings of “sex” and “gender” into law.

In some cases, these laws aim to recognize and protect transgender Americans. The Democratic-backed Equality Act , which passed the House, but not the Senate, in 2019 and 2021 , would have federally protected against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. Some states have passed similar equality legislation , creating a patchwork of anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.

But lawmakers in many Republican-led states have proposed narrow definitions of sex and gender that would apply to large sections of state law. “Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences,” Iowa’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds said in a press release detailing her support for the state’s version of such a bill. She added, “This bill protects women’s spaces and rights afforded to us by Iowa law and the Constitution.”

Opponents reject the idea that the bills relate to women’s rights and claim the bills are an attempt to “erase” legal recognition of transgender people.

In 2023, four states passed laws defining sex , and two other states did so via executive order .

The Kansas Legislature, for example, passed the “ Women’s Bill of Rights ” overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto . The law says that “pursuant to any state law or rules and regulations … An individual’s ‘sex’ means such individual’s biological sex, either male or female, at birth.”

The law defines male and female as based on whether a person’s reproductive system “is developed to produce ova,” or “is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.”

Because of the bill, transgender Kansans may no longer amend the sex listed on their birth certificates or update their driver’s licenses to be different from their sex assigned at birth, although courts are reviewing this policy .

The Kansas law also states that “distinctions between the sexes with respect to athletics, prisons or other detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms and other areas where biology, safety or privacy are implicated” are related to “important governmental objectives” a condition required under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Rose Saxe, lawyer and deputy project director of the LGBTQ and HIV project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the Kansas law does not explicitly require those spaces to be segregated by “sex” as the bill defines, but tries to justify policies that would do so.

Current bills defining ‘sex’

This year, 17 more states considered bills that would narrowly define “sex” and/or “gender” in state law according to the ACLU’s anti-LGBTQ legislation tracker . One, Utah , signed a definition into law, and 10 other states are advancing 15 bills combined. In the remaining six states, the bills were carried over to next year or defeated.

Some bills, such as Arizona’s S.B. 1628 change the terms for the entire statute: “This state shall replace the stand-alone term ‘gender’ with ‘sex’ in all laws, rules, publications, orders, actions, programs, policies, and signage,” it reads. The state Senate passed the bill 16-13 on Feb. 22 , along party lines with Republicans in favor.

Other bills, such as Idaho’s H.B. 421 , don’t replace the word “gender” but declare it synonymous to “sex.” Gender, when used in state law, “shall be considered a synonym for ‘sex’ and shall not be considered a synonym for gender identity, an internal sense of gender, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role,” reads the text of the bill, which passed the Idaho House 54-14 on Feb. 7 .

Saxe said the bills could have a cascading effect on other laws.

Two bills in Florida , neither of which passed, would have explicitly required driver’s licenses to reflect sex assigned at birth. Advocates, including Saxe, worry that other sex-defining bills would have a similar consequence .

Transgender rights advocates say access to identification that matches an individual’s identity and presentation is important. “If you can’t update the gender marker on your ID, you are essentially outed as transgender at every turn,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality to PolitiFact for a previous story on drivers licenses in Florida. This can happen during interactions with potential landlords, employers, cashiers, bartenders and restaurant servers.

Kentucky and Georgia are following Kansas’s lead and considering their own “ Women’s Bill of Rights ” based on model legislation created by the conservative advocacy group, Independent Women’s Voice , and the Women’s Liberation Front , a feminist group opposing what it terms “ gender ideology .”

There are variations. The bill in Georgia , for example, would remove “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” from the state’s definition of a hate crime.

“Even in the states that have passed these bills,” said Paisley Currah, a political science professor at the City University of New York, “there’s still going to be these contradictions,” because a person’s driver’s license might not match the gender on their passport, for example.

“Unless you’re a prisoner or immigrant or you are in the Army, the government actually doesn’t get to look at your body,” said Currah, who wrote a book on how government agencies address “sex” categories. “It’s always some doctor that signs a letter … and so there’s always a document between your body and the state.”

How these sex-defining laws would affect state agencies remains to be seen. And the laws may face court challenges, likely on the grounds that they violate the Equal Protection Clause or right to privacy, Saxe said.

This fact check was originally published by PolitiFact , which is part of the Poynter Institute. See the sources for this fact check here .

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Two courts in Japan rule same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional

A group of LGBT supporters holding banners and flags gather outside a court in Japan.

The LGBT community in Japan is hoping the country is one step closer to legalising same-sex marriage, after two separate courts ruled the country's ban was unconstitutional. 

The Sapporo High Court, on the country's northern island of Hokkaido, ruled not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to equality and freedom of marriage.

Three same-sex couples brought the case, appealing three years ago after a lower court also recognised the ban as unconstitutional, but dismissed compensation claims for their suffering.

Sapporo High Court Judge Kiyofumi Saito said the constitutional freedom of marriage should equally protect couples of different and same sexes. 

"Disallowing marriage to same-sex couples is a discrimination that lacks rationality … allowing same-sex marriage creates no disadvantage or harm to anyone," Mr Saito said. 

But he also dismissed the plaintiffs' claim for damages from the government.

Earlier on Thursday, a Tokyo district court also made a similar ruling, describing Japan's lack of marriage equality as a "state of unconstitutionality".

Emotional decision for same-sex couples

A plaintiff in the Sapporo case, Eri Nakaya, said the traditional definition of marriage repeatedly made her feel that same-sex couples are treated as if they do not exist.

"The ruling clearly stated that same-sex couples have the same right as others and deserve to live in this country, and reminded me it's OK just to be me," she said.

"It was a long-awaited, delightful ruling which makes me cry."

The Sapporo High Court does not have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to restrict marriage as between a man and a woman. 

Support for same-sex marriage has grown in Japan in recent years, with polls showing 70 per cent of the public support same-sex unions.

A group of Japanese men and women gather outside a court in Tokyo displaying messages of support for marriage equality.

Despite that, it remains opposed by the Liberal Democractic Party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which continues to promote traditional family values. 

The government's top spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters the government would closely watch other similar court decisions in the near future. 

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialised nations that doesn't offer legal protection for same-sex unions. 

Senior Goldman Sachs executive in Tokyo Masakazu Yanagisawa sits on the board of rights group Marriage for All Japan.

He said the country risked losing talented people to other countries that allow same-sex marriage if nothing changed.

"There is a growing risk that Japan will be left behind by international trends and excluded from being an option as a place to work," Mr Yanagisawa said.

"We are at a critical juncture to see if Japan will become a society that accepts diversity."

The debate on the same-sex ban has split lower courts, with one district court finding the ban to be constitutional but others saying it is unconstitutional to varying degrees.

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Mark Dreyfus and Anthony Albanese

Australia’s religious and sex discrimination laws need fixing, a new report says. What happens next?

Australian Law Reform Commission report welcomed by LGBTQ+ rights groups but faith leaders have rejected its recommendations

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It’s 2024 and Australia’s federal parliament still can’t decide whether and how to prohibit religious discrimination and remove religious exemptions to sex discrimination laws.

What’s the issue?

Critics say Australia’s federal discrimination laws have two broad defects:

Discrimination on the basis of religion is not prohibited in the same way as other protected attributes such as race, age, sex and sexuality.

Sex discrimination laws contain broad exemptions for religious educational institutions, allowing them to expel gay and transgender students or fire teachers for their sexuality and gender.

Didn’t the Coalition government try to fix this?

The Ruddock religious freedom review, launched after the legislation of marriage equality, recommended that if religious schools want to discriminate against staff or students for their sexuality or gender, this must be stated in a public policy.

This prompted backlash about the existing religious exemptions, resulting in Labor offering bipartisan support to fix the law and Morrison committing to amendments to protect students.

The Morrison government introduced a religious discrimination bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and protecting students against discrimination on the basis of sexuality but not gender, in effect excluding trans kids .

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When the bill came to a vote five Liberal MPs crossed the floor supporting an amendment prohibiting discrimination against kids for sexuality or gender. As a result the Coalition shelved its own bill , due to changes that religious schools complained would interfere with their ethos.

What did Labor promise to do?

In opposition, Labor attempted to amend the bill to include provisions prohibiting vilification on the basis of religion.

It committed that a future Labor government would:

Prevent discrimination against people of faith, including anti-vilification protections.

Act to protect all students from discrimination on any grounds.

Protect teachers from discrimination at work, while maintaining the right of religious schools to preference people of their faith in the selection of staff.

Why is this news this week?

On Thursday the government released the Australian Law Reform Commission report on how to achieve the protection of teachers and students.

Ahead of the report’s release, Anthony Albanese revealed to Labor’s caucus that he had approached the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, seeking bipartisanship and, if it is not provided, the legislation would not proceed.

What did the ALRC recommend?

The ALRC recommended repealing section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act, which allows religious schools to discriminate against people on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status.

It proposed that religious institutions should be allowed to preference staff based on their religious beliefs so long as it is “reasonably necessary” and “proportionate” to the aim of maintaining a community of faith and does not breach sex discrimination laws.

What was the reaction to the ALRC?

National LGBTQ+ group Equality Australia backed the ALRC proposal. Its legal director, Ghassan Kassisieh, said “discrimination against LGBTQ+ students and staff is happening in religious schools across the country because of gaps in Australian laws that makes it lawful”.

Many religious groups, including the National Catholic Education Commission, the Sydney Anglicans and Australian National Imams Council, rejected the proposal.

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The NCEC executive director, Jacinta Collins, said the ALRC had “critically neglected the attorney general’s third term of reference to ensure that religious schools can ‘continue to build a community of faith by giving preference, in good faith, to persons of the same religion as the educational institution in the selection of staff’”.

What is Labor proposing?

The attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, and Anthony Albanese have made clear that the ALRC report is “not a report from the government”. That is, it is not government policy.

Labor is proposing two bills to:

Amend the Sex Discrimination Act, including to repeal section 38.

Create a Religious Discrimination Act, including the right of schools to preference staff based on religious beliefs and practices and anti-vilification provisions.

These bills have so far not been introduced to parliament or released publicly, so it is difficult to gauge how Labor’s drafting might differ from the ALRC proposal.

Dreyfus has said “no student or member of staff should be discriminated against because of who they are”. “At the same time, religious schools must continue to be able to build and maintain communities of faith.”

LGBTQ+ equality groups are concerned about the extent of religious institutions’ rights, and whether the second bill could still allow controversial practices such as schools requiring teachers to sign statements of belief .

The shadow attorney general, Michaelia Cash, has a copy of the bills and Coalition members will be briefed on Tuesday. Cash has described them as substantially different from the Coalition’s earlier legislation.

So will this go ahead?

For the moment, the government is maintaining that it wants opposition bipartisanship and the Coalition has not provided it.

On Friday Cash told Guardian Australia:

The priority at the moment is ensuring that any bills put forward by the government address the very serious concerns raised by faith leaders and religious schools in the wake of the ALRC report. We will negotiate constructively with the government to try and secure a position which takes faith communities forward, and not backwards. It is concerning that the government have already ruled out an inquiry on significant legislation like this.”

Albanese said he had “made it very clear from very early on in this process” that the reforms “need bipartisan support … because I don’t want this to be an issue in which we go through the old culture wars”.

Albanese said Labor will “engage across the parliament” and noted the government needed the support of the Coalition or the Greens in the Senate.

What about hate speech and doxing?

The government will separately aim to legislate a prohibition on hate speech, and this will not be contingent on opposition support.

It is unclear whether religion is one of the grounds on which hate speech will be prohibited, and why this is separate to anti-vilification in the religious discrimination bill.

Similarly, the civil and criminal penalties for doxing will be legislated separately and are not caught in this logjam.

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Stacker

50 surprising laws in popular tourist destinations

Posted: December 3, 2023 | Last updated: January 3, 2024

<p>It's never been easier to travel the world than it is today. The internet has made planning exotic overseas trips a total breeze. Intense competition between airlines means airfares stay low. Airbnb and VRBO have made lodging much more affordable. And the proliferation of travel media means wanderlusters are but a finger tap away from all the travel inspiration they can handle.</p>  <p>While scoring that Instagram-ready Airbnb and finding the family-run, handmade-pasta restaurant certainly merit their respective research, travel planning should also include learning and understanding the laws of your destination because adventuring abroad can quickly turn sour if you run afoul of local customs and laws. Even the best-laid travel plans go awry. In his seminal travelogue, "The Innocents Abroad," Mark Twain mused "The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad."</p>  <p>Before you hit the road, hit the guidebooks, CIA World Factbook, Google, and the <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/">U.S. Department of State's website</a> to research the dos and don'ts of your destination country. You might be surprised at what you learn. The explosion of international travel has spurred many countries to put tourist-centric laws and regulations on the books. Since ignorance is no excuse, it's incumbent upon you, dear traveler, to stay updated on all the latest rules and laws governing your destination country. Luckily, Stacker is here to help.</p>  <p>Using <a href="https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421152">data released from the World Tourism Organization</a> in 2019, Stacker compiled a list of the 50 most popular tourist destinations in terms of 2018 international tourist arrivals, ranked from least to most visited. Tourist arrivals for Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the Czech Republic are as of 2017. Below is a list of one peculiar or arbitrary law in each country. If you're planning to travel abroad, read on to see if your destination made the list.</p>  <p><strong>You may also like: </strong><a href="https://stacker.com/travel/25-must-visit-hidden-gems-across-us">25 must-visit hidden gems from across the US</a></p>

Strange laws to be aware of in the most popular countries for tourists

It's never been easier to travel the world than it is today. The internet has made planning exotic overseas trips a total breeze. Intense competition between airlines means airfares stay low. Airbnb and VRBO have made lodging much more affordable. And the proliferation of travel media means wanderlusters are but a finger tap away from all the travel inspiration they can handle.

While scoring that Instagram-ready Airbnb and finding the family-run, handmade-pasta restaurant certainly merit their respective research, travel planning should also include learning and understanding the laws of your destination because adventuring abroad can quickly turn sour if you run afoul of local customs and laws. Even the best-laid travel plans go awry. In his seminal travelogue, "The Innocents Abroad," Mark Twain mused "The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad."

Before you hit the road, hit the guidebooks, CIA World Factbook, Google, and the U.S. Department of State's website to research the dos and don'ts of your destination country. You might be surprised at what you learn. The explosion of international travel has spurred many countries to put tourist-centric laws and regulations on the books. Since ignorance is no excuse, it's incumbent upon you, dear traveler, to stay updated on all the latest rules and laws governing your destination country. Luckily, Stacker is here to help.

Using data released from the World Tourism Organization in 2019, Stacker compiled a list of the 50 most popular tourist destinations in terms of 2018 international tourist arrivals, ranked from least to most visited. Tourist arrivals for Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the Czech Republic are as of 2017. Below is a list of one peculiar or arbitrary law in each country. If you're planning to travel abroad, read on to see if your destination made the list.

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<p>- International tourist arrivals: 6.3 million</p>  <p>Should you be challenged to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12169424-stupid-laws-of-norway">fistfight to the death in Norway</a>, you must either accept or pay four deer in exchange for refusing the challenge. If you're not a qualified pugilist but also aren't sure where to procure four deer, worry not: the law hasn't been enforced in many years.</p>

#50. Norway

- International tourist arrivals: 6.3 million

Should you be challenged to fistfight to the death in Norway , you must either accept or pay four deer in exchange for refusing the challenge. If you're not a qualified pugilist but also aren't sure where to procure four deer, worry not: the law hasn't been enforced in many years.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 6.6 million</p>  <p>The <a href="https://www.ageofconsent.net/world/dominican-republic">age of sexual consent</a> in the Dominican Republic is 18. There is no close-in-age exemption, which means that an 18-year-old high school senior visiting on spring break could be arrested and prosecuted for a tryst with a 17-year-old high school senior there.</p>

#49. Dominican Republic

- International tourist arrivals: 6.6 million

The age of sexual consent in the Dominican Republic is 18. There is no close-in-age exemption, which means that an 18-year-old high school senior visiting on spring break could be arrested and prosecuted for a tryst with a 17-year-old high school senior there.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 6.6 million</p>  <p>Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world, known for its stunning natural beauty and bounty of exotic wildlife. If you're a hunter planning on pursuing wild game, however, think again. <a href="https://www.animallaw.info/article/overview-brazils-legal-structure-animal-issues">Commercial, recreational, and sport hunting</a> have been outlawed since 1967. The ban, however, may not last as congress submitted a bill in 2019 to open the country to commercial hunting.</p>

#48. Brazil

Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world, known for its stunning natural beauty and bounty of exotic wildlife. If you're a hunter planning on pursuing wild game, however, think again. Commercial, recreational, and sport hunting have been outlawed since 1967. The ban, however, may not last as congress submitted a bill in 2019 to open the country to commercial hunting.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 6.9 million</p>  <p>Arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, football superstar Lionel Messi is the pride and joy of his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. When a Rosario resident named his child Messi, however, some residents protested. In 2014, Rosario made it <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/09/10/people-in-messis-hometown-have-been-barred-from-naming-their-babies-messi/">illegal to name a child Messi.</a></p>

#47. Argentina

- International tourist arrivals: 6.9 million

Arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, football superstar Lionel Messi is the pride and joy of his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. When a Rosario resident named his child Messi, however, some residents protested. In 2014, Rosario made it illegal to name a child Messi.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 7.1 million</p>  <p>To discourage public disorder, Swedish authorities issue permits to bars and other hangouts that allow customers to dance. If customers <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/sweden-dancing-illegal-spontaneous-law-a7905531.html">dance spontaneously</a> in an unlicensed venue, the consequences can be serious—not for the reveler, but for the bar owner. While politicians across parties have pledged to revoke the law, as of December 2019 it remains on the books.</p>

#46. Sweden

- International tourist arrivals: 7.1 million

To discourage public disorder, Swedish authorities issue permits to bars and other hangouts that allow customers to dance. If customers dance spontaneously in an unlicensed venue, the consequences can be serious—not for the reveler, but for the bar owner. While politicians across parties have pledged to revoke the law, as of December 2019 it remains on the books.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 7.1 million</p>  <p>If you visit the Philippines, be careful who you antagonize. The country's <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/07/31/17/ph-law-makes-it-to-list-of-weirdest-laws-around-the-world">"unjust vexation" law</a> makes it illegal for one person to annoy another.</p>

#45. Philippines

If you visit the Philippines, be careful who you antagonize. The country's "unjust vexation" law makes it illegal for one person to annoy another.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 7.3 million</p>  <p>While it may fall under the category "strange" to Westerners, Iran, like other strict Islamic countries, prohibits the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol. All offers of alcohol should be turned down. Not only do travelers risk going to jail but the bootleg alcohol so prevalent in Iran <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45709203">can also be poisonous</a>.</p>  <p>[Pictured: A beer based on an old Persian recipe produced in UK.]</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 7.3 million

While it may fall under the category "strange" to Westerners, Iran, like other strict Islamic countries, prohibits the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol. All offers of alcohol should be turned down. Not only do travelers risk going to jail but the bootleg alcohol so prevalent in Iran can also be poisonous .

[Pictured: A beer based on an old Persian recipe produced in UK.]

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 8.3 million</p>  <p>Tunisia has become a hotbed of artifact-smuggling. The government has subsequently made it <a href="https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tunisia/local-laws-and-customs">illegal to take antiques out of the country</a> without declaring them at customs. Before you buy something at a market or shop, make sure you have the proper documentation needed to bring these items home. Failure to do so can result in travel delays, fines, or confiscation.</p>

#43. Tunisia

- International tourist arrivals: 8.3 million

Tunisia has become a hotbed of artifact-smuggling. The government has subsequently made it illegal to take antiques out of the country without declaring them at customs. Before you buy something at a market or shop, make sure you have the proper documentation needed to bring these items home. Failure to do so can result in travel delays, fines, or confiscation.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 9.2 million</p>  <p>Belgians are still bound by an archaic set of rules known collectively as the <a href="https://www.expatica.com/be/living/gov-law-admin/unbelievable-laws-belgium-774171/">GAS laws</a>. One of the laws forbids street musicians from playing off-key or in any other manner that disturbs public order.</p>

#42. Belgium

- International tourist arrivals: 9.2 million

Belgians are still bound by an archaic set of rules known collectively as the GAS laws . One of the laws forbids street musicians from playing off-key or in any other manner that disturbs public order.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 9.2 million</p>  <p>Australia has a laundry list of <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/australias-weirdest-laws.aspx">bizarre laws on the books</a>. Among the weirdest: In Victoria, it's illegal to wear pink hot pants on Sunday afternoons. The takeaway here? Limit your pink hot pants to Saturdays.</p>

#41. Australia

Australia has a laundry list of bizarre laws on the books . Among the weirdest: In Victoria, it's illegal to wear pink hot pants on Sunday afternoons. The takeaway here? Limit your pink hot pants to Saturdays.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 9.3 million</p>  <p>Bulgaria takes highway safety very seriously. When you're in the country, keep in mind that motorists are <a href="https://www.camprest.com/en/traffic-regulations/bulgaria-en/">required by law</a> to keep a reflective triangle, fire extinguisher, and spare tire in the car at all times.</p>

#40. Bulgaria

- International tourist arrivals: 9.3 million

Bulgaria takes highway safety very seriously. When you're in the country, keep in mind that motorists are required by law to keep a reflective triangle, fire extinguisher, and spare tire in the car at all times.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 10.3 million</p>  <p><a href="https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/31/section/36/enacted/en/html">Ireland's Defamation Act of 2009</a> made it illegal to insult religion, either verbally or in writing. The law, which is rife with subjective definitions like "grossly abusive" and "causing outrage," pertains to all religions.</p>

#39. Ireland

- International tourist arrivals: 10.3 million

Ireland's Defamation Act of 2009 made it illegal to insult religion, either verbally or in writing. The law, which is rife with subjective definitions like "grossly abusive" and "causing outrage," pertains to all religions.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 10.5 million</p>  <p>South Africa is home to some of the world's most beautiful beaches, but you'll have to follow some pretty <a href="https://moguldom.com/122945/eight-bizarre-laws-in-south-africa/8/">bizarre rules</a> if you plan to visit. One law requires young people in bathing suits to sit at least 12 inches apart from each other.</p>

#38. South Africa

- International tourist arrivals: 10.5 million

South Africa is home to some of the world's most beautiful beaches, but you'll have to follow some pretty bizarre rules if you plan to visit. One law requires young people in bathing suits to sit at least 12 inches apart from each other.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 11.1 million</p>  <p>In Taiwan, morality is often enforced through strict laws and regulations, <a href="https://www.theweek.co.uk/62723/where-is-adultery-is-still-illegal">like one that makes adultery illegal</a>. Adultery laws disappeared in virtually all of Europe and Latin America decades ago, but remains illegal in many Muslim-majority countries, Eastern countries, and more than 20 of America's 50 states.</p>

#37. Taiwan

- International tourist arrivals: 11.1 million

In Taiwan, morality is often enforced through strict laws and regulations, like one that makes adultery illegal . Adultery laws disappeared in virtually all of Europe and Latin America decades ago, but remains illegal in many Muslim-majority countries, Eastern countries, and more than 20 of America's 50 states.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 11.3 million</p>  <p>Same-sex relationships are not a crime in Egypt as they are in other majority-Muslim countries. <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/what-could-you-jailed-egypt-11471403">Public displays of affection</a> between two people of the same sex could lead to arrest.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 11.3 million

Same-sex relationships are not a crime in Egypt as they are in other majority-Muslim countries. Public displays of affection between two people of the same sex could lead to arrest.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 11.7 million</p>  <p>Switzerland is all about peace, quiet, and public order, especially on the ski slopes. <a href="https://travelaway.me/crazy-stupid-laws-europe/">It's illegal</a> to recite poetry while skiing, so leave the Wordsworth back in the chalet.</p>

#35. Switzerland

- International tourist arrivals: 11.7 million

Switzerland is all about peace, quiet, and public order, especially on the ski slopes. It's illegal to recite poetry while skiing, so leave the Wordsworth back in the chalet.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 11.7 million</p>  <p>Pilots run through a maintenance safety checklist before flying a plane, and the same applies to drivers in Denmark. Before starting their cars, <a href="https://www.stupidlaws.com/before-starting-your-car-you-are-required-to-check-lights-brakes-steering-and-honk-your-horn/">drivers are required</a> to test their lights and brakes, honk their horns, and check for children under their vehicles.</p>

#34. Denmark

Pilots run through a maintenance safety checklist before flying a plane, and the same applies to drivers in Denmark. Before starting their cars, drivers are required to test their lights and brakes, honk their horns, and check for children under their vehicles.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 12.3 million</p>  <p>If you visit Morocco, be choosy about who you hang out with. In the North African nation, police can arrest and prosecute people just for <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/africa/morocco/articles/8-moroccan-laws-foreigners-will-find-unusual/">being in the company of someone</a> found with drugs, even if the acquaintance didn't know the person was in possession.</p>

#33. Morocco

- International tourist arrivals: 12.3 million

If you visit Morocco, be choosy about who you hang out with. In the North African nation, police can arrest and prosecute people just for being in the company of someone found with drugs, even if the acquaintance didn't know the person was in possession.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 13.4 million</p>  <p>Be careful if you use a public restroom in Indonesia, a country with a notoriously severe criminal justice system. It's <a href="https://www.stupidlaws.com/laws/countries/indonesia/">illegal not to flush the toilet</a> after using it, and police do random inspections of public bathrooms. This law is further complicated by the fact that many toilets <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-should-talk-more-about-toilets-150540">do not include a traditional flush feature</a>, and must be flushed manually with a bucket of water.</p>

#32. Indonesia

- International tourist arrivals: 13.4 million

Be careful if you use a public restroom in Indonesia, a country with a notoriously severe criminal justice system. It's illegal not to flush the toilet after using it, and police do random inspections of public bathrooms. This law is further complicated by the fact that many toilets do not include a traditional flush feature , and must be flushed manually with a bucket of water.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 13.7 million</p>  <p>In the Czech Republic, headlights are not only for driving at night. It's been illegal since 2006 to drive without your headlights turned on at all times during winter.</p>

#31. Czechia

- International tourist arrivals: 13.7 million

In the Czech Republic, headlights are not only for driving at night. It's been illegal since 2006 to drive without your headlights turned on at all times during winter.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 14.2 million</p>  <p>In Ukraine, it is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine/local-laws-and-customs">illegal to smoke or drink anywhere in public</a> at any time. That includes smoking and drinking at sporting events and parks.</p>

#30. Ukraine

- International tourist arrivals: 14.2 million

In Ukraine, it is illegal to smoke or drink anywhere in public at any time. That includes smoking and drinking at sporting events and parks.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 14.7 million</p>  <p>Singapore is <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32090420">known for pristine public spaces</a> that are maintained, in part, by severe laws regarding litter, graffiti, and other blight. The country's harsh criminal justice system includes public caning as punishment. Because it's hard to clean up when discarded outside of trash cans, it's been illegal to chew gum in Singapore since 1992.</p>

#29. Singapore

- International tourist arrivals: 14.7 million

Singapore is known for pristine public spaces that are maintained, in part, by severe laws regarding litter, graffiti, and other blight. The country's harsh criminal justice system includes public caning as punishment. Because it's hard to clean up when discarded outside of trash cans, it's been illegal to chew gum in Singapore since 1992.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 15.3 million</p>  <p>If you're looking for ways to get into trouble in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you won't have to look far—particularly if you're a woman. Although some women can now drive cars for the first time, <a href="https://www.theweek.co.uk/60339/things-women-cant-do-in-saudi-arabia">women in Saudi Arabia</a> are still forbidden from participating in a long list of everyday activities, including swimming in pools, dressing in a way deemed immodest, or competing in sports, including the Olympic Games.</p>

#28. Saudi Arabia

- International tourist arrivals: 15.3 million

If you're looking for ways to get into trouble in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you won't have to look far—particularly if you're a woman. Although some women can now drive cars for the first time, women in Saudi Arabia are still forbidden from participating in a long list of everyday activities, including swimming in pools, dressing in a way deemed immodest, or competing in sports, including the Olympic Games.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 15.3 million</p>  <p>Your body art won't prevent you from going to South Korea, but if you get a tattoo while you're there, chances are high the ink is illegal. Since <a href="https://10mag.com/illegal-in-korea/">only licensed medical doctors</a> can legally administer tattoos in South Korea, virtually all tattoo artists there practice their trade illegally.</p>

#27. Republic of Korea

Your body art won't prevent you from going to South Korea, but if you get a tattoo while you're there, chances are high the ink is illegal. Since only licensed medical doctors can legally administer tattoos in South Korea, virtually all tattoo artists there practice their trade illegally.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 15.5 million</p>  <p>In Vietnam, it's not uncommon to see many people crowded onto one bike. If it's more than two, however, those people are breaking the law. It's <a href="https://www.citypassguide.com/20-essential-laws-every-ex-pat-in-vietnam-needs-to-know/">illegal in the Southeast Asian country</a> for more than two people to ride one bike at the same time.</p>

#26. Vietnam

- International tourist arrivals: 15.5 million

In Vietnam, it's not uncommon to see many people crowded onto one bike. If it's more than two, however, those people are breaking the law. It's illegal in the Southeast Asian country for more than two people to ride one bike at the same time.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 15.9 million</p>  <p>In the UAE city of Dubai, public image is taken very seriously. The government considers dirty cars to be a blight on the city's reputation. Not only are <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/articles/11-weird-dubai-laws-for-both-tourists-and-residents/">dirty cars routinely towed</a> and their owners fined, you can even get in trouble for washing your car the wrong way.</p>

#25. United Arab Emirates

- International tourist arrivals: 15.9 million

In the UAE city of Dubai, public image is taken very seriously. The government considers dirty cars to be a blight on the city's reputation. Not only are dirty cars routinely towed and their owners fined, you can even get in trouble for washing your car the wrong way.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 16.6 million</p>  <p>In Croatia, you can be ticketed and fined for <a href="https://europeisnotdead.com/european-strange-laws/">sleeping on a public bench</a>. The fine doubles if you're caught snoring as you slumber.</p>

#24. Croatia

- International tourist arrivals: 16.6 million

In Croatia, you can be ticketed and fined for sleeping on a public bench . The fine doubles if you're caught snoring as you slumber.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 17.2 million</p>  <p>Tourists in Hungary will want to take extra care when snapping photos. In 2014, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/14/hungary-law-photography-permission-take-pictures">the country enacted a law</a> that requires photographers to get permission from everyone who will be depicted in the photo they're about to take.</p>

#23. Hungary

- International tourist arrivals: 17.2 million

Tourists in Hungary will want to take extra care when snapping photos. In 2014, the country enacted a law that requires photographers to get permission from everyone who will be depicted in the photo they're about to take.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 17.4 million</p>  <p>Sending a kite skyward is a time-honored tradition all over the world, nowhere more so than India. You may be surprised to learn, however, that <a href="https://kitingplanet.com/is-kite-flying-illegal-in-india-here-are-the-facts/">kites have been considered aircraft since 1934</a>. Irresponsible kite-flying can lead to persecution. That means you need a license if you want to get in on the fun.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 17.4 million

Sending a kite skyward is a time-honored tradition all over the world, nowhere more so than India. You may be surprised to learn, however, that kites have been considered aircraft since 1934 . Irresponsible kite-flying can lead to persecution. That means you need a license if you want to get in on the fun.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 18.5 million</p>  <p>Called the "Vegas of the East," Macao (or Macau) is a <a href="https://www.onceinalifetimejourney.com/inspiration/interesting-facts-about-macau/">casino haven that attracts massive crowds of Eastern gamblers</a> looking to skirt China's strict laws. In many ways, it resembles a Western casino strip—with one glaring omission. Unlike Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos that ply gamblers with all the booze they can drink, casinos in Macao offer unlimited free tea, milk, soda, and coffee, but no alcohol.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 18.5 million

Called the "Vegas of the East," Macao (or Macau) is a casino haven that attracts massive crowds of Eastern gamblers looking to skirt China's strict laws. In many ways, it resembles a Western casino strip—with one glaring omission. Unlike Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos that ply gamblers with all the booze they can drink, casinos in Macao offer unlimited free tea, milk, soda, and coffee, but no alcohol.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 19 million</p>  <p>If you're visiting the Netherlands as a tourist, great—but <a href="https://dutchreview.com/culture/weird-laws-the-netherlands/">don't plan a destination wedding there</a>. It's illegal to get married in the Netherlands unless one of the two people exchanging vows is Dutch.</p>

#20. Netherlands

- International tourist arrivals: 19 million

If you're visiting the Netherlands as a tourist, great—but don't plan a destination wedding there . It's illegal to get married in the Netherlands unless one of the two people exchanging vows is Dutch.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 19.6 million</p>  <p>If you're traveling in a country occupied by the Nazis during World War II, it's probably best to avoid mentioning the era altogether, particularly in Poland. Although the government is considering softening this controversial law, it is currently <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/27/623865367/poland-backtracks-on-a-controversial-holocaust-speech-law">illegal to accuse Poland of complicity in the Holocaust</a>. Doing so could land you in prison for three years.</p>

#19. Poland

- International tourist arrivals: 19.6 million

If you're traveling in a country occupied by the Nazis during World War II, it's probably best to avoid mentioning the era altogether, particularly in Poland. Although the government is considering softening this controversial law, it is currently illegal to accuse Poland of complicity in the Holocaust . Doing so could land you in prison for three years.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 21.1 million</p>  <p>If you're nursing a scrape in Canada you think may be almost healed, make sure you check before heading out for the day. It is illegal in Canada to <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/news/9-laws-canadians-break-every-day-without-realizing-it">remove a bandage in public</a>.</p>

#18. Canada

- International tourist arrivals: 21.1 million

If you're nursing a scrape in Canada you think may be almost healed, make sure you check before heading out for the day. It is illegal in Canada to remove a bandage in public .

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 22.8 million</p>  <p>In Portugal, it is <a href="https://www.budgettravel.com/article/foreign-laws-every-traveler-should-know_66179">against the law to urinate in the ocean</a>. It is unclear, however, how authorities go about enforcing this mandate.</p>

#17. Portugal

- International tourist arrivals: 22.8 million

In Portugal, it is against the law to urinate in the ocean . It is unclear, however, how authorities go about enforcing this mandate.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 24.6 million</p>  <p>Russia is teeming with archaic and peculiar laws. One of the weirdest: It's illegal to brush your teeth <a href="https://www.thefactsite.com/weird-country-laws/">more than twice a day</a>. Again, enforcing this law sounds tricky.</p>

#16. Russia

- International tourist arrivals: 24.6 million

Russia is teeming with archaic and peculiar laws. One of the weirdest: It's illegal to brush your teeth more than twice a day . Again, enforcing this law sounds tricky.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 25.8 million</p>  <p>The conservative, Muslim-majority country of Malaysia has strict <a href="https://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/blog/some-of-malaysias-interesting-laws-visitors-should-know">laws regarding public exposure</a>. So strict, in fact, that several local governments have banned bikinis altogether. In 2016, a group of Australian tourists was arrested and detained, eventually pleading guilty to indecency for attending a racing event wearing bathing suits adorned with the Malaysian flag.</p>

#15. Malaysia

- International tourist arrivals: 25.8 million

The conservative, Muslim-majority country of Malaysia has strict laws regarding public exposure . So strict, in fact, that several local governments have banned bikinis altogether. In 2016, a group of Australian tourists was arrested and detained, eventually pleading guilty to indecency for attending a racing event wearing bathing suits adorned with the Malaysian flag.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 29.3 million</p>  <p>Hong Kong's strangest laws are leftovers from British colonial rule. Case in point: Firing of cannons is <a href="https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/blog/hong-kongs-strangest-laws-052016">forbidden within 200 meters</a> of another house. In this population-dense city, it's probably best to shoot cannons elsewhere.</p>

#14. Hong Kong

- International tourist arrivals: 29.3 million

Hong Kong's strangest laws are leftovers from British colonial rule. Case in point: Firing of cannons is forbidden within 200 meters of another house. In this population-dense city, it's probably best to shoot cannons elsewhere.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 30.1 million</p>  <p>Visitors to Greece's myriad archaeological sites should note two regulations: High-heel shoes are banned and chewing gum is forbidden. These laws help to conserve the fragile sites: In 2006, authorities <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/greece-closing-ancient-theatres-to-repair-wear-and-tear-1.577636">removed over 60 pounds</a> of discarded chewing gum at the Odeon theater.</p>

#13. Greece

- International tourist arrivals: 30.1 million

Visitors to Greece's myriad archaeological sites should note two regulations: High-heel shoes are banned and chewing gum is forbidden. These laws help to conserve the fragile sites: In 2006, authorities removed over 60 pounds of discarded chewing gum at the Odeon theater.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 30.8 million</p>  <p>According to civil code BGBLA 2004 I 118 § 16 Abs (5), Austrians may not restrict animals in their mobility "to the point of pain.". It is expressly prohibited to chain up a dog, even temporarily.</p>

#12. Austria

- International tourist arrivals: 30.8 million

According to civil code BGBLA 2004 I 118 § 16 Abs (5), Austrians may not restrict animals in their mobility "to the point of pain.". It is expressly prohibited to chain up a dog, even temporarily.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 31.2 million</p>  <p>It's hard to imagine why you'd want to <a href="https://www.tokyofamilies.net/2017/02/strange-japanese-laws-you-never-knew-existed/">put ice cream in a mailbox</a> in Japan, but if you're considering it, you'd better think twice. Thanks to a rogue postman in 2006, Article 78 of Japan's postal law makes the act illegal.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 31.2 million

It's hard to imagine why you'd want to put ice cream in a mailbox in Japan, but if you're considering it, you'd better think twice. Thanks to a rogue postman in 2006, Article 78 of Japan's postal law makes the act illegal.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 36.3 million</p>  <p>If you're in the United Kingdom and looking to purchase a television, you'll need more than a ride to the electronics store. You're required to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/tv-licence">get a license before buying a TV</a>, installing any program receiving equipment, or recording television programs.</p>

#10. United Kingdom

- International tourist arrivals: 36.3 million

If you're in the United Kingdom and looking to purchase a television, you'll need more than a ride to the electronics store. You're required to get a license before buying a TV , installing any program receiving equipment, or recording television programs.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 38.3 million</p>  <p>Thailand's strict lèse majesté laws prohibit anyone from defaming, insulting, or threatening the king. And authorities are serious about its enforcement: There have been over <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/7466">100 prosecutions since the 2014 coup</a>.</p>

#9. Thailand

- International tourist arrivals: 38.3 million

Thailand's strict lèse majesté laws prohibit anyone from defaming, insulting, or threatening the king. And authorities are serious about its enforcement: There have been over 100 prosecutions since the 2014 coup .

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 38.9 million</p>  <p>Germany is famous worldwide for the Autobahn, a pristine superhighway that does not impose speed limits on its drivers. That doesn't mean that there aren't any rules, though. It is <a href="https://www.bussgeldkatalog.net/strassenverkehrsordnung/18-stvo/">illegal to stop on the Autobahn</a> for any reason, even running out of gas.</p>

#8. Germany

- International tourist arrivals: 38.9 million

Germany is famous worldwide for the Autobahn, a pristine superhighway that does not impose speed limits on its drivers. That doesn't mean that there aren't any rules, though. It is illegal to stop on the Autobahn for any reason, even running out of gas.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 41.4 million</p>  <p>In the Mexican state of Sonora, it's illegal to give your newborn any of the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/04/illegal-baby-names-mexican-state_n_7062640.html">61 names on a baby name blacklist</a>. Among the forbidden names are Harry Potter, Facebook, and James Bond.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 41.4 million

In the Mexican state of Sonora, it's illegal to give your newborn any of the 61 names on a baby name blacklist . Among the forbidden names are Harry Potter, Facebook, and James Bond.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 45.8 million</p>  <p>Turkey, known for its strict censorship laws, has <a href="https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/faruk-bildirici/100-000-web-pages-banned-in-turkey-131786">blocked more than 100,000 web pages</a> from reaching its citizens. The most controversial online ban is the complete blacklisting of Wikipedia. After the information site refused to alter content the Turkish government found objectionable, authorities outlawed the entire site in a ban <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/30/17302142/wikipedia-ban-turkey-one-year-anniversary">The Verge calls</a> "the most comprehensive in the world."</p>  <p><strong>You may also like: </strong><a href="https://stacker.com/travel/most-popular-museums-america">Most popular museums in America</a></p>

- International tourist arrivals: 45.8 million

Turkey, known for its strict censorship laws, has blocked more than 100,000 web pages from reaching its citizens. The most controversial online ban is the complete blacklisting of Wikipedia. After the information site refused to alter content the Turkish government found objectionable, authorities outlawed the entire site in a ban The Verge calls "the most comprehensive in the world."

You may also like: Most popular museums in America

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 62.1 million</p>  <p>Because of overtoursim, many Italian destinations have enacted laws to manage the tourist onslaught. Rome sits at the <a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/italy-new-urban-regulations-for-the-city-of-rome/">forefront of these new regulations</a>, enacting laws prohibiting eating in public, sitting on the Spanish Steps, and sightseeing while shirtless.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 62.1 million

Because of overtoursim, many Italian destinations have enacted laws to manage the tourist onslaught. Rome sits at the forefront of these new regulations , enacting laws prohibiting eating in public, sitting on the Spanish Steps, and sightseeing while shirtless.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 62.9 million</p>  <p>China is known for its strict rules and harsh justice system. One of its odder regulations has to do with health care. To see a doctor, you first have to get a <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-04-11/want-see-doctor-china-wait-line-or-pay-illegal-scalper-jump-it-you">state hospital-issued ticket</a>, which can take two weeks. If you have the cash to pay an illegal scalper, you may be able to get medical attention in as little as two days.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 62.9 million

China is known for its strict rules and harsh justice system. One of its odder regulations has to do with health care. To see a doctor, you first have to get a state hospital-issued ticket , which can take two weeks. If you have the cash to pay an illegal scalper, you may be able to get medical attention in as little as two days.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 79.6 million</p>  <p>Americans are subject to a maze of often vague and inconsistently applied federal laws. Author Harvey Silverglate argues the average American unwittingly commits <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9Au2t9ZOtnAC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false">three felonies a day</a>. Americans also must contend with a patchwork of inconsistent and archaic state laws, many of which are cartoonishly arbitrary. In Boulder, Colorado, for example, it's <a href="https://library.municode.com/co/boulder/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT5GEOF_CH4OFAGPR_5-4-16OUFURE">illegal to keep a couch on your porch</a>. In Indiana, it's <a href="https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIPUORSA_CH441TR_ARTIINGE_S441-105EFCHHOOTAN">illegal to ride a horse</a> faster than 10 miles per hour.</p>

#3. United States

- International tourist arrivals: 79.6 million

Americans are subject to a maze of often vague and inconsistently applied federal laws. Author Harvey Silverglate argues the average American unwittingly commits three felonies a day . Americans also must contend with a patchwork of inconsistent and archaic state laws, many of which are cartoonishly arbitrary. In Boulder, Colorado, for example, it's illegal to keep a couch on your porch . In Indiana, it's illegal to ride a horse faster than 10 miles per hour.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 82.8 million</p>  <p>From the Ibizan hound to the Spanish greyhound, Spain is home to some of the most unique and elegant dog breeds in the world. Spanish authorities, however, don't want to see you with too many at any given time. It's <a href="https://www.thelocal.es/galleries/culture/top-10-spains-weirdest-laws/8">illegal in Madrid</a> to walk more than eight dogs at once.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 82.8 million

From the Ibizan hound to the Spanish greyhound, Spain is home to some of the most unique and elegant dog breeds in the world. Spanish authorities, however, don't want to see you with too many at any given time. It's illegal in Madrid to walk more than eight dogs at once.

<p>- International tourist arrivals: 89.4 million</p>  <p>Bargain hunters beware: In France, the government controls when retail establishments can hold clearance sales. Two official periods, <a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2019/5/27/ECOI1911930A/jo/texte">known as "les soldes,"</a> occur once a summer and winter, usually January and July. Even internet retailers must abide by these rules and keep their items at full price until the sale period kicks in.</p>

- International tourist arrivals: 89.4 million

Bargain hunters beware: In France, the government controls when retail establishments can hold clearance sales. Two official periods, known as "les soldes," occur once a summer and winter, usually January and July. Even internet retailers must abide by these rules and keep their items at full price until the sale period kicks in.

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New Rules Will Still Push Carmakers to Sell More Electric Cars

New Biden administration auto rules are less forceful than an earlier proposal but will still add to market pressure for cheaper electric vehicles.

sex tourism rules

By Jack Ewing

Even if clean air rules announced on Wednesday in Washington are less forceful than some environmentalists would have liked, they should still have a powerful effect on the kinds of cars appearing in showrooms over the next several years, experts said.

The rules will amplify market forces pushing the industry toward battery power, giving automakers a strong incentive to sell a broader, more affordable variety of electric cars — not just the expensive sport utility vehicles that have dominated sales so far.

“It probably means more models and lower prices,” said Craig Segall, former deputy executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, an agency that played a key role in promoting electric vehicles in that state. “The way you win,” he said, referring to carmakers, “is making sure you have an E.V. in each segment.”

Despite talk of a slowdown, sales of electric vehicles are growing much faster than sales of vehicles that run on fossil fuels. Prices of electric vehicles have dropped significantly and are likely to fall further as carmakers get better at making them and the cost of batteries and raw materials plummets.

The Environmental Protection Agency rules announced Wednesday “certainly don’t slow down the pace at which our members are scaling up production,” said Albert Gore III, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association. The association’s members include Tesla and other electric carmakers, as well as battery manufacturers, charging companies and suppliers.

The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats in 2022, led to a boom in investment in battery factories and electric vehicle plants. Since then, companies have announced investments of more than $110 billion in battery factories and electric vehicle assembly plants, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. These are long-term financial commitments that companies are likely to stick to regardless of what the federal government does.

Within a few years, electric cars that can drive more than 300 miles on a charge are likely to cost less than gasoline vehicles even before accounting for fuel savings. Electricity is usually much cheaper than gasoline. That will give more car buyers strong economic reasons to go electric.

The average price of a new electric vehicle has fallen substantially. It was $52,314 in February, according to Kelley Blue Book, still about $5,000 more than the average for all vehicles. But electric vehicle prices plummeted 13 percent in February from a year earlier, and more than $2,500 just from January. The cost of used battery-powered vehicles has dropped much more than that.

Prices will to continue to fall steeply because batteries, the most important and expensive component, are becoming much cheaper, analysts say. The average cost of a battery pack is on track to plunge more than 40 percent by 2030 compared with 2022, according to estimates by the International Council on Clean Transportation, a research organization.

Electric vehicles “are getting closer to parity with gas cars,” said Katherine García, a transportation expert at the Sierra Club. “We are going to see that sooner than originally forecast.”

During the early years of the E.P.A. rules announced on Wednesday, automakers will face somewhat less pressure to cut emissions than under an earlier agency proposal. The E.P.A. doesn’t dictate to automakers how they meet the standards. They can also reduce emissions by improving the efficiency of gasoline engines or by selling more hybrid cars that augment gasoline engines with batteries and electric motors.

Plug-in hybrids, which can travel short distances on battery power alone and are growing in popularity, could proliferate during the next few years. They will account for as much as 9 percent of new car sales by 2030, according to E.P.A. estimates, compared with about 2 percent last year.

But automakers will get the most credit for all-electric cars that have no tailpipe emissions. They will account for 44 percent of new cars by 2030, according to the E.P.A.

Longer term, most automakers acknowledge that they need to sell appealing electric vehicles to survive.

“E.V.s are clearly the future and what consumers are going to be wanting and what’s going to be cheapest to produce,” said Stephanie Searle, chief program officer at the International Council on Clean Transportation. “Automakers need to be investing in that to keep up.”

Tesla has already shaken the car market and has become the world’s most valuable automaker. New competitors from China are looming, as Beijing tries to take advantage of the technological shift to become a major auto exporter.

Tariffs and other restrictions have limited Chinese exports to the United States so far. But automakers like BYD, which sells an electric car in China for less than $12,000, could find a way in by producing in Mexico or even building factories in the United States.

For automakers, the emergence of Chinese rivals is a powerful motivator. It evokes unpleasant memories of the way Toyota, Honda and other Japanese automakers broke the dominance of Ford Motor, General Motors and Chrysler in the 1970s with inexpensive, fuel-efficient cars. Tesla, Ford and Volkswagen are among the major automakers working on low-cost electric vehicles that are clearly inspired by the threat from China.

Experience has shown that technology often moves faster than regulations require. Under E.P.A. rules that took effect in 2017, electric vehicles were expected to account for 3 percent of new car sales by 2025. But battery-powered cars are already at about 8 percent of the U.S. new car market.

In California, which has long had the strictest pollution limits, electric cars made up 25 percent of new cars sold last year. And under rules passed in 2022, the state will phase out cars that burn fossil fuels by 2035.

“California has more than its share of E.V.s because we asked for it,” said Mr. Segall, the former state official, who is now vice president of Evergreen, an activist group.

Another 12 states, including New York and New Jersey, model their rules on California’s and won’t be affected much by E.P.A. regulations because their rules are already stricter. The federal rules will have the most impact on states like Texas, Florida and Connecticut that don’t follow California.

The rules will also put pressure on carmakers like Toyota and Stellantis, the owner of Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep, which have been slow to sell fully electric vehicles.

The E.P.A. rules are among numerous Biden administration policies intended to promote electric vehicles. Tax credits of up to $7,500 are available for vehicles that are manufactured in the United States, Canada or Mexico and meet other requirements designed to promote a domestic supply chain. The number of vehicles that qualify is small, but is expected to grow as carmakers like Hyundai make more vehicles in the United States.

The government is also subsidizing construction of fast-charging stations, which along with investments by carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and charging companies like Electrify America will soon remove a major sticking point for many car buyers.

Surveys show that many people are interested in electric cars but are worried about finding a place to charge on road trips. If governments and companies follow through on all the plans they have announced, according to a study published this month by the International Council on Clean Transportation, by 2030 there will be more than enough fast chargers.

Jack Ewing writes about the auto industry with an emphasis on electric vehicles. More about Jack Ewing

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Watch CBS News

Banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a Japanese high court rules

Updated on: March 14, 2024 / 5:43 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Tokyo — A Japanese high court ruled Thursday that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and called for urgent government action to address the lack of any law allowing such unions.

The court doesn't have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to restrict marriage as between a man and a woman. Government offices may continue to deny marriage status to same-sex couples unless the existing law is revised to include LGBTQ+ couples, or a new law is enacted that allows for other types of unions.

The Sapporo High Court ruling said not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to have a family.

A lower court issued a similar ruling earlier Thursday, becoming the sixth district court to do so. But the Tokyo District Court ruling was only a partial victory for Japan's LGBTQ+ community calling for equal marriage rights, as it doesn't change or overturn the current civil union law that describes marriage as between a man and a woman.

Japan LGBTQ+

Five previous court decisions in various districts said Japan's policy of denying same-sex marriage is either unconstitutional or nearly so. However, unlike the Sapporo ruling, none of the low-level courts clearly deemed the existing marriage law unconstitutional

Japan is the only country among the so-called G-7 industrialized nations that  doesn't allow same-sex marriage . But, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer , momentum for change is growing, thanks in large part to couples who've stepped out of the shadows to push for equality and inclusion — despite the personal risks.

Palmer says banners and the bunting were hung in July for Tokyo's first full-scale Pride parade since the coronavirus pandemic.  It was both a party, and a political rally to press for same-sex marriage rights.

U.S. Ambassador  Rahm Emanuel joined the crowds  and lent his vocal support, saying he could already "see a point in Japan's future" when, "like America… where there is not straight marriage… not gay marriage… there's only marriage."

Proudly joining the parade that day were Kane Hirata and Kotfei Katsuyama, who have become poster boys for the cause.

Asked why they believe their country is the only one in the G-7 that doesn't yet allow same-sex marriage, Katsuyama told CBS News Japan's ruling political party has close ties with fringe religious sects and staunchly conservative anti-LGBTQ groups.

A powerful right-wing minority in Japan's parliament has managed for years to block major changes to the country's marriage laws.  

  • Same-Sex Marriage

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'vanderpump rules' star scheana shay suggests she had orgy with john mayer, 'vpr' star scheana shay suggests she had orgy w/ john mayer, 287 3/20/2024 8:35 am pt.

Scheana Shay seems to be suggesting she banged John Mayer -- but more than just that ... there appears to have been other people in the bedroom too.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star made the confession during Tuesday's episode ... where she shared during a game of "Never Have I Ever" that she partook in an orgy long before meeting husband Brock Davies .

In a confessional for 'VPR,' SS elaborated a bit more ... confirming her orgy partner was an A-list celeb. She then dropped a not-so-subtle clue hinting at John's identity ... as she said her body was a wonderland at the time.

This isn't the first time Scheana has spilled on her past fling with John -- who is notably BFFs with Bravo bigwig Andy Cohen . Remember, Scheana shared on the "Flashbacks" podcast in 2020 that she first met John when he was still dating Jennifer Aniston .

Apparently, the trio partied together at a bash in Beverly Hills ... but nothing intimate happened then. After John and Jen called it quits, as the story goes, the singer called up Scheana ... who said she ended up in a throuple with John and "Hills" vet Stacie Adams (AKA the girl who stirred the pot in Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag 's relationship).

The romance lasted only six months, as Scheana claimed she bounced from the throuple after struggling with jealousy. Though Scheana and Stacie's friendship made it through the drama -- Stacie notably served as a bridesmaid in Scheana's first wedding to ex Mike Shay .

Fans are already clamoring for Andy to have John on "Watch What Happens Live" to tell his side of the orgy story. And, FWIW ... we too would like to know more!

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IMAGES

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VIDEO

  1. Top 10 Sex Tourism Destinations Around The World

  2. How Does Sex Tourism Impact Thailand's Society and Economy?

  3. LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN MEDICAL TOURISM

  4. The Rules of Attraction

  5. Sex tourism in Colombia 🇨🇴 ( Clearing the air )

  6. Understanding "Sex Tourism": A Comprehensive Guide

COMMENTS

  1. Sex Tourism

    Tourist establishments supporting this initiative to protect children from sex tourism are listed online. Providers and travelers who suspect child sexual exploitation or other trafficking activities occurring overseas can report tips anonymously by: Calling the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line (866-347-2423).

  2. Is sex tourism against the law?

    This law targets the sex tourist, while the state laws described below target travel agents or other people who promote sex tourism. State law and travel services. At least three states—Hawaii, Missouri, and Washington—make it a crime to sell travel services for purposes of engaging in what would be prostitution if it occurred in the state ...

  3. Notice to US citizens: Your actions abroad may have serious

    In 2003, the United States strengthened its ability to fight child sex tourism by passing the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act (PROTECT Act) and the Trafficking Victim's Protection Reauthorization Act. These laws carry penalties of up to 30 years in prison for engaging in child sex tourism.

  4. Sex tourism

    Sex tourism is known as a multibillion-dollar industry that globally supports a workforce estimated in the millions, ... a government can protect sex workers under labor laws accessible by workers in other fields. For example, in the Netherlands, sex workers have access to unlimited free STI testing.

  5. What is Federal Sex Tourism and What are the Consequences?

    If you commit federal sex tourism crimes abroad, you can still be prosecuted in the United States. 18 U.S.C. Section 2423(c): Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places - U.S. citizens and legal residents are prohibited from going to another country and molesting or raping a child, or paying to have sex with a child.

  6. Criminal Division

    This statute makes it an offense to profit by facilitating the travel of U.S. Citizens or legal permanent residents, knowing that they are traveling for the purpose of engaging in illegal sex with a minor. The penalty for this offense is up to 30 years in prison. There are also some child pornography laws that apply to conduct overseas.

  7. Criminal Division

    This crime is a form of human trafficking, also referred to as child sex tourism. Convicted offenders face fines and up to 30 years of ... and policy initiatives relating to federal laws on the extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children. Updated August 11, 2023. U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW ...

  8. Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism

    We called on the US government to stop sex tourism and to investigate GF Tours, a company exploiting women in Southeast Asia. We lobbied for stronger enforcement of federal anti-trafficking laws, which make sex tourism a crime, to shut them down. Due to our efforts, GF Tours removed graphic content from its materials.

  9. PDF The Global Impact of the Sex Tourism Industry: Issues of Legalization

    tries, very few rules and regulations have been implemented to control or reduce sex tourism and pros- ... parts of the world. According to Simoni (2014), academic debates on sex, tourism, and the phenomenon known as 'sex tourism' have flourished in the last two decades and have benefitted greatly from the insights of

  10. PDF National State Law Survey: Sex Tourism Laws

    Is there a state law criminalizing facilitators who promote or sell sex tourism?1 Alabama No Ohio No Alaska Yes* Oklahoma No Arizona No Oregon No Arkansas Yes Pennsylvania No California No Rhode Island No Colorado Yes South Carolina No Connecticut No South Dakota No Delaware No Tennessee Yes* DC No Texas No Florida No Utah No Georgia No Vermont No

  11. Sex & Travel

    Sex while traveling encompasses the categories of casual consensual sex, sex tourism, sexual violence or assault, connection to sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation of children. ... from 11-21 years old. Some countries have no legal age of consent, with local laws forbidding all sexual relations outside of marriage. Child Pornography ...

  12. Sun, sea and sex: a review of the sex tourism literature

    Sex tourism is defined as travel planned specifically for the purpose of sex, generally to a country where prostitution is legal. While much of the literature on sex tourism relates to the commercial sex worker industry, sex tourism also finds expression in non-transactional sexual encounters. This narrative review explores current concepts related to travel and sex, with a focus on trans ...

  13. International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other

    The International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders is a federal law that requires, among other things, a visual "unique identifier" to be placed on the passports of registrants convicted of sex offenses involving a minor.The law also requires covered offenders to notify law enforcement 21 days before ...

  14. I went to a sex resort. Yes, I'll tell you about it.

    What happens at sex resorts? Beth Ashley went to Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica, and shared what happened at the sex retreat. ... By 2025, global wellness tourism is predicted to reach the $1.3 ...

  15. Sun, sea and sex: a review of the sex tourism literature

    Background. Prior to the current pandemic of COVID-19, international travel had reached record levels of activity, with 1.4 billion traveller arrivals recorded in 2018 [].Sex and travel have a long association, dating from the ancient world onwards [], and their connection is still apparent today.Sex tourism is defined by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as "travel planned ...

  16. Sex Tourism in Latin America

    In 1997, Brazil launched a "No Child Sex Tourism" campaign, since adopted by the WTO, to curtail sex tourism and enforce laws imposing jail sentences on foreigners caught purchasing sex from children. In January 2000, Mexico enacted an amendment of the federal penal code and code procedures that declared sex tourism to be a punishable crime

  17. How Indonesia's new sex laws will affect tourists

    New rules raise concerns for human rights, but also for the country's battered tourism industry with experts warning they could scare visitors away, potentially losing billions in revenue.

  18. Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal 2024

    Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but the laws are ambiguous and often unenforced. As a result, red-light districts, massage parlors, go-go bars, and sex-focused karaoke bars are common sights. Sex work in Thailand is a significant economic incentive for many citizens, especially rural, unskilled women with financial burdens. Japan

  19. Bali sex ban: Indonesia tourists won't be charged under law

    Tourists visiting Indonesia will not be charged under a new law which will criminalise sex outside marriage, officials say. Dubbed the "Bali bonking ban", the new legislation threatens up to a ...

  20. U.S. Man Gets 17 Years in Prison for Traveling to Dominican Republic to

    The case highlighted the little-reported subjects of underage sex trafficking and sex tourism in the Dominican Republic, which prosecutes few such cases. ... but the country prohibits brothels and ...

  21. Planning a Bali trip? Here's what new laws will mean for tourists

    Sex rules unlikely to trouble tourists. ... The head of tourism in Badung, which covers popular tourist areas Kuta and Nusa Dua, said foreigners should not be concerned.

  22. Ways You'll Get Arrested in Colombia

    A sad trend relating to Colombia's lax laws on prostitution, sexual tourism has become rife in major Colombia cities such as Medellin and Cartagena. While prostitution might be legal in Colombia, pimping or organizing sexual tourism is not: Medellin recently began a crackdown, with the arrest of a foreign sex-tourism provider.

  23. What are 'sex' and 'gender'? How these terms have ...

    Some bills, such as Arizona's S.B. 1628 change the terms for the entire statute: "This state shall replace the stand-alone term 'gender' with 'sex' in all laws, rules, publications ...

  24. Two courts in Japan rule same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional

    Business leaders are concerned the government's opposition to same-sex marriage could see talented people look to move elsewhere, after two courts rule the ban is unconstitutional.

  25. Australia's religious and sex discrimination laws need fixing, a new

    Sex discrimination laws contain broad exemptions for religious educational institutions, allowing them to expel gay and transgender students or fire teachers for their sexuality and gender. Didn ...

  26. 50 surprising laws in popular tourist destinations

    Using data released from the World Tourism Organization in 2019, Stacker compiled a list of the 50 most popular tourist destinations in terms of 2018 international tourist arrivals, ranked from ...

  27. New Rules Will Still Push Carmakers to Sell More Electric Cars

    New Biden administration auto rules are less forceful than an earlier proposal but will still add to market pressure for cheaper electric vehicles. By Jack Ewing Even if clean air rules announced ...

  28. Japan High Court Rules Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Unconstitutional

    The High Court in Japan's northern city of Sapporo ruled in favor of three couples who sued against the country's ban on same-sex marriage, adding to earlier legal victories for the LGBTQ ...

  29. Banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a Japanese high court rules

    Asked why they believe their country is the only one in the G-7 that doesn't yet allow same-sex marriage, Katsuyama told CBS News Japan's ruling political party has close ties with fringe ...

  30. 'Vanderpump Rules' Star Scheana Shay Suggests She Had Orgy with ...

    Scheana Shay seems to be suggesting she banged John Mayer-- but more than just that ... there appears to have been other people in the bedroom too.. The "Vanderpump Rules" star made the confession ...