Sex Tourism in Northern Cyprus: Investigating the Current Situation

Abstract

Tourism and sex have commonalities in providing services that satisfy basic physiological and psychological needs of human beings. Traveling to different places for relaxation, excitement and/or fun seeking and related services are long been considered as areas of research in tourism marketing. In this sense, this article deals with controversial side of tourism, sex tourism, by investigating the current situation in an unrecognized country on a Mediterranean island. This article argues that, although it is not been spoken out loud by the government officials and tourism scholars, “sex tourism,” by being the fourth “S” after sea, sun, and sand, has the potential to put Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the international tourism map, again. Results of several interviews with “involved parties” and review of the published work suggested that ongoing body trade in Northern Cyprus is a “civilized one” where sex workers are willingly work and consider this as their “summer jobs.”