Sex Tourism Research Articles

Understanding Thailand’s tourism industry from the perspective of tweets: A qualitative content analysis using NVivo 12.0

Social media provide a variety of possibilities for tourist destination selection and bring new opportunities and challenges to the development of Thailand’s tourism industry. This study aims to examine Thailand’s tourism development through the lens of social media users via content analysis and find ways to improve Thailand’s tourism marketing strategies within social media. A dataset consisting of 10,008 tweets was utilized. Grounded theory is conducted to finish the open coding, axis coding, and selective coding process within NVivo 12.0, resulting in nine dimensions: the development of cities, elephant tourism development, Thailand perspective, the development of the tourism industry, tourism story, the development of tourist, tourism for Asian development, travel development perspective and cannabis. Subsequently, word frequency, sentiment, and cluster analyses were performed on those topics. The findings highlighted the critical elements of Thailand’s tourism development in social media, including cities, tourists, industries, stories, animals, and cannabis. In addition, the study identified popular tourist attractions and destinations within Thailand’s tourism development, as well as the positive impact of tourism on the economy, market, and urban development. Concurrently, Twitter users expressed concerns regarding sex tourism, cannabis, medical tourism, ecology, agriculture, and unrest in Thailand.

Tropicality and Decoloniality: Sex Tourism vs Eco Tourism on a Philippine Beach

Tropicality and Decoloniality: Sex Tourism vs Eco Tourism on a Philippine Beach

“Dream Boy” and “Hotmale”

Abstract Gender and sexuality have gradually become the focus of more semiotic landscape research, however, studies relating specifically to sex tourism spaces are limited and with those in the Thai context even more so. Therefore, this paper examines the discursive construction of Phatphong 2, one of the famous destinations for sex tourism in Bangkok among male homosexuals, as queer space. Drawing on code preference and inscription (Scollon and Scollon 2003) and visual social semiotics (Kress and Van Leeuwen 1996), we analyze the linguistic and semiotic resources in sexed signs. Findings reveal that Englishization, particularly the terms “boy” and “Bangkok” in shop signs, creates a glocalized and international queer identity for Phatphong 2. The salience of the lean male muscular body and marginalization of transwomen in promotional signs unveil the hegemonic masculinity in queer sex tourism spaces. The study concludes that sexed signs in sex tourism spaces are semiotic aggregates of global queer culture.

‘Blowjobs are Jobs Too’: An Exploratory Study into Victimization Experiences of Male Sex Workers in Botswana

This study conducted in-depth face to face interviews with twenty male sex workers (MSWs) servicing sex tourists in Botswana. Expert opinions were also sought with support organizations and the police in Botswana to understand more about male sex work in Botswana. The research questions were directed at exploring (a) how male sex workers experienced and perceived victimisation in their interactions with sex tourists, (b) what role support groups played, and (c) what reforms both male sex workers and support groups propose for the male sex work industry. The article presents their victimisation experiences, health risks and opinions of the support groups. The study found out that MSWs frequently experienced physical violence and sexual assaults such as stealthing, especially male sex workers who identified as gay or bisexual. MSWs never reported their victimisation experiences to the police due to fear of stigmatisation, shaming and possible arrests given the partial criminalisation of sex work. Support groups on the other, as non-governmental organizations offered the much-needed support services such as distribution of lubes, condoms, HIV screening, counselling, and ARV and PrEP access and management for sex workers. This study contributes to the limited literature examining the experiences of MSWs, demonstrating their vulnerability and the need for interventions to mitigate their victimisation and protect their health. Many sex workers emphasised constitutional protections of their rights, the need to decriminalise, as well as the promotion of safety and security. The study argues that traditionally, culture and religion have produced a gender-biased socio-cultural parameters that place males as providers, hence, their vulnerability to victimisation and sexual violence is often unnoticed, which also makes reporting difficult to law enforcement.

Bodies for Sale: Sex Tourism in Nabil Ayouch’s Much Loved (2015)

Bodies for Sale: Sex Tourism in Nabil Ayouch’s Much Loved (2015)

“Human Trafficking Is Modern Day Slavery”: Rev. Margaret Fowler, Sex Work and Trafficking

The late Rev. Margaret Fowler, United Church Minister, was a key supporter of LGBTQ rights and a vocal advocate against human trafficking in Jamaica. As the founder of the Theodora Project, Rev. Fowler served many persons coerced into sex work or subject to sexual exploitation. She argued that human trafficking is a complex connection of economy, gender, social dynamics, law, and foreign relations. She called for the Church to be involved in anti-trafficking work as to do nothing risks “the very real possibility of Jamaica becoming another major area of sex tourism”. As we celebrate her life and ministry, we are given the opportunity to carefully excavate her perspective on the nexus among trafficking, slavery, and sex work. It does appear that her discourse follows the traditional Church line, which conflates slavery, trafficking and sex work in a fashion that views sex work as wholly coerced. In exploring the arguments that validated her important ministry in Negril, this chapter centres sex positive approaches to sex work and questions the slavery and exploitation framing that is normal in Christian discourse.

Buddhism, gender, and sexualities: queer spiritualities in Thailand

PurposeThe article aims to present a new aspect of “the emergent identities” in Thailand with a correlation between morality and religiosity. The research deals with the perception of 65 Thai male-to-female transgender sex workers who are currently working in sex tourism in Pattaya and Bangkok. This article explores the role religion plays, the linkages between sexualities, and the potential for Thai Theravada Buddhist individuals to understand the way that they cope with life and interpret its meaning among these sexual minorities. Finally, the article shows how Thai marginalized Theravada Buddhists are negotiating their gendered religious spaces in Thailand.Design/methodology/approachThe study investigates perceptions of religion and its role in the lives of Thai Buddhist male-to-female transgender sex workers. Almost all the qualitative data was collected sequentially through (1) focus group discussions, (2) small group discussions, and (3) in-depth interviews. All interview sessions took place over six months in 2019. The researcher is a native Thai speaker and conducted the interviews in Thai with selected sex workers over 20 years old who have at least one year of experience engaging in sex work.FindingsThe research found three principal characteristics of “lived religion” in which emergent identities negotiate sexuality and morality: (1) Buddhist dequeering (the way Buddhism operates conservatively to reinforce heteronormativity), (2) queering Buddhism amidst multiple oppressions (how Buddhism operates to complement queer identity and empowerment), and (3) queering Buddhism as enlightenment (Buddhism with an emphasis on “practice” and “spiritual development”). The paper discusses how institutional Buddhism creates and recreates gendered identities in complex ways.Research limitations/implicationsThe article shows how Thai marginalized Theravada-Buddhism are negotiating their gendered religious spaces and “buy” the right to sexual and anatomy within their families and society by providing financial support, engaging in religion practices, donating in social charity projects base on their faith and capacity.Practical implicationsThe paper is supporting human right movements and dignity for sexual minorities gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender questioning, intersex (LGBTQI+) in Thailand. The paper also promotes equality to all human beings and shows a struggle for the basic human rights of sexual minorities in religion. The paper is raising awareness to religion's rights for all to look beyond distinctions of gender and class which may help to shape future history.Social implicationsThis article examines how Thai transgender sex workers utilize the non-essentialist philosophy of Theravada Buddhism. The paper finds that respondents are negotiating their religious spaces through the linkages among their gender, body, embodiment, identities, and sexualities. Despite most respondents believe that being born “a kathoey” as a result of bad karma, they use the Buddhist teachings of karma to explain their identities and even to lead a meaningful life to gain more merits for a better rebirth.Originality/valueThailand still lacks research on queer spiritualities and Buddhism. The article has seen challenges to the human rights of sexual minorities in religion. The solution is to increase awareness of the concepts of sex, gender, and sexualities and broaden the understanding of “endless performativity” and “gender diversification” (Butler, 1990) for gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness in creating “social equality” for all member societies in public campaigns, and media launched by the state and NGOs.

GOVERNMENT LEGAL POLICY AND SOCIETY'S ROLE IN OVERCOMING THE PRACTICE OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN

The practice of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in several areas in South Sulawesi Province is a phenomenon that is very troubling to the community. The government has been faced with many problems that have damaged the future of children. This study aims to determine the form of CSEC and analyze government legal policies and the role of society in preventing the practice of CSEC. This is empirical legal research with data sources from government officials and the public. CSEC covers prostituted children, child pornography, trafficking of children for sexual purposes, child sex tourism, and child marriage in certain cases. Responding to the widespread practice of CSEC, the government and society have taken several legal steps to overcome the practice and prevent the consequences that arise through counseling and law enforcement, especially against the perpetrators.

Protection and Awareness Against Child Abuse

In Pakistan, child abuse has risen alarmingly, i.e., 30% of cases from 2020-2021 statistics.1 WHOcomprehensively drafts the definition as, "Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and oremotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, or commercial or other exploitation,resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of arelationship or responsibilities, trust or power." There is an urgent need to address these issues in the prevention,psychotherapeutic treatment and rehabilitation of such victims and suffering. On the contrary, there will be ascary consequence. According to WHO, about 1 billion old children (2-17 years) across the globe are subjectedto physical, sexual, or emotional harm by their caregivers or strangers Violence or abuse does not haveboundaries of country, religion, class, or gender.2 At the same time, the related stigma keeps it underreported.Every year, around 500 million children suffer from abuse. In the USA, more than 3 million cases are reported,causing 2000 deaths and 18000 permanent disabilities, the victim results every year. The count for sexuallymolested girls is 1 in 4, and for boys, it is 1 in 7.3 In New Delhi, Child abuse is 8 in 10 kids, whereas boys (7 in10 kids) are more vulnerable than girls (6.5 in 10 kids).4 The percentage of sexual abuse in India is 52% onlyadmitted patients annually, whereas statistics for unreported and other molestation are unknown.5 In Sri Lanka,more than 40000 children were involved in prostitution, where children are used by paedophile sex tourists.6In an unofficial report, every year , somewhat 15-20% of children are sexually abused in Pakistan. According toan NGO, there is a rise of 2 to 10 reported cases of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) per day in the upcoming year,whereas the actual numbers would be much higher because CSA is culturally veiled. They documented that bothgenders were equally victimized, although 0-5 years of CSA victims were mostly boys. The perpetratorsincluded close family ties and acquaintances, marking an increase in per year cases reported. Out of a total 3852number of CSA cases, 2211 (51%) were from Punjab. A total number of 92 cases were reported murder after theassault.7According to the latest study, the amygdala in the brain shrinks with repeated trauma, resulting in delayedlearning abilities and deficient memory.8 Depression, isolation, and delinquency are a few more to enumerate.There are physical, behavioural and emotional indicators of abuse that a physician must be able to identify,address and refer to a psychologist for professional treatment. The prevention measures of awareness, trainingfor parenting, character building of parents and psychological treatment can prevent and decrease a victim’ssuffering. The only way to prevent CSA is to educate and spread awareness against this act on two levels. One iseducating parents and teachers, and the other is making the child aware of the good and bad touch. In this regard,the P AAC group has worked. They have prepared useful brochures to protect the child from encountering theissue. The whole structure of society needs renovation, and the best renovation is building attributes based on thepsychological training present in the seerah of the Prophet (SAW) and his companions.

Roving consumers of pleasure: at the conceptual intersection of sport tourism and sex tourism

ABSTRACT Mega sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games and Super Bowl, are often constructed as corresponding sites of bodily tourism, with a shared motivation among some tourists to purchase and consume both commercialized sport and sex. This paper begins by deconstructing the ‘common sense’ connection between sport tourism and sex trafficking. It recognizes, however, that both sport and sex tourism are grounded in bodily consumption and conquest. That is, both sex and sport tourism rely on the commodification and consumption of the body as currency and fantasy, defined as a libidinal economy. As such, this paper explores the colonial systems of power that enable and perpetuate the commodification of colonized bodies at the intersection of sport tourism and sex tourism. The paper situates this intersection within the colonial matrix of power and the structural hierarchies maintained through the colonial framing of power, race, gender and sexuality. In this sense, tourism is defined as roving colonialism [Sykes, H. (2017). The sexual and gender politics of sport mega-events: Roving colonialism. New York, NY: Routledge]. Using the colonial matrix of power as a theoretical framework, then, we evaluate the libidinal economies of sport tourism and sex tourism and propose a conceptual understanding of bodily labor and exploitation at this unique intersection. By using this conceptual framework, this paper calls for further empirical study that explicitly evaluates the impact of corresponding systems of sport tourism and sex tourism simultaneously at play within national and international sporting events.

Sun, Sand, Sex, and Safari: The Interplay of Sex Tourism and Global Inequalities in Africa's Tourism Industry

Despite the increasing visibility of sex in Africa's tourism industry, the continent is typically neglected in global narratives about sex tourism. The quintessential image of sex tourism is that of Global North tourists traveling to "exotic" locations in the Global South such as East Asia, Latin America, or the Caribbean. Yet, Africa has been experiencing a growth in sex tourism bolstered by an increase in globalization-led tourism development. The continent was identified as the second-fastest growing tourism region in the world in 2019—after the Asia Pacific region—with an estimated 67 million visitors annually, and some of those tourists are bound to engage in sex tourism. Literature examining the global inequalities that inform sex tourism in the African economy using the perspectives of dependency theories and postcolonial theories is sparse but warranted. Expanding on these critiques of the politics of race, class, gender, and imperialism, this article explores interactions between Global North sex tourists and Global South hosts in the sex tourism industry in Africa. The article contends that the tourist gaze on sex workers in Africa's sex tourism industry is informed by representations of Africa and African sexuality in pop culture rooted in the colonial project and by contemporary power imbalances in the global tourism industry, which organizes raced, gendered, and classed tourist experiences.

Traffic in Asian Women

Traffic in Asian Women

A Message from the Editor: Introduction to the Special Issue on Human Trafficking

A Message from the EditorIntroduction to the Special Issue on Human Trafficking Michael R. Hall, Sabella Abidde, and José de Arimatéia da Cruz In November 2000, the United Nations adopted the "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime." It stated, "'Trafficking in persons' shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."1 The 7th INTERPOL Global Conference on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September 2019—three months before the 37th Annual Association of Global South Studies (AGSS) Conference held in Argentina's capital in December 2019. The INTERPOL conference attracted 750 participants from ninety-seven countries who focused on disrupting the "business model" of criminal enterprises behind human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In her opening remarks at the INTERPOL conference, Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's Minister of Security, described human trafficking and migrant smuggling as "the strong over the weak—those who exploit the vulnerability for their own profit." According to Bullrich, "It is important that we understand the essence of the crime, [End Page ix] not only to fight the offenders, but also to develop our ability to return freedom and peace of mind to all those who have suffered as victims."2 While attending the AGSS conference, Professor of Political Science Sabella Abidde at Alabama State University, Professor of Political Science José de Arimatéia da Cruz at Georgia Southern University, and Professor of History Michael R. Hall at Georgia Southern University—encouraged and influenced by the success and popularity of the recent INTERPOL conference—initiated a project that would examine the issue of human trafficking in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Initially, the plan was to host a series of panels at the 38th annual AGSS conference to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in October 2020. Due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the conference was canceled. As a result, we approached Ryan Alexander, the editor of the Journal of Global South Studies (JGSS), with a plan for an issue of the journal dedicated to the theme of human trafficking in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The fruition of this endeavor are the six articles by nine scholars from multiple disciplines included in this issue of the journal. In "Theorizing Human Trafficking and Unfree Labor," Julia Harnoncourt from the University of Luxembourg and Miguel Paredes from the University of Vienna examine human trafficking in the context of labor exploitation. The authors explain that unfree labor transpires when the workers cannot sell their labor freely. Significantly, the unfree labor condition involves a situation in which the laborer cannot end their labor relation. After placing their research in historical perspective, the authors examine the Palermo Protocol and the application of laws against human trafficking in two case studies: Bolivia and Brazil. In "Paradoxes and Anomalies in Caribbean Anti-Trafficking Law and Practice," Jason Haynes from the University of the Birmingham assesses existing state practice on human trafficking in the Caribbean. Haynes' study is based on empirical data collected from interviews with 50 government officials and nongovernmental organization representatives in twelve Caribbean nations. In "Comparative Analysis of Human Trafficking in Caribbean and African Islands from the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report," Kathleen M. Vogel from Arizona State University examines current trends in human trafficking in African and Caribbean islands. Especially relevant is the author's discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human trafficking. In "Sun, Sand, Sex, and Safari: The Interplay of Sex Tourism and Global Inequalities [End Page...

Poverty, Psychological Distress, and Suicidality Among Gay Men and Transgender Women Sex Workers During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Phuket, Thailand.

Thai gay men and transgender women (GM&TGW) sex workers are more likely to suffer from economic harm since the sex tourism industry in Thailand has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. They also are more likely to experience poverty and mental health issues subsequent to the pandemic as minority groups in conservative Thai society. While their highly problematic social and economic situation would predict a wide range of psychological issues, little is known about their mental health. Hence, this study examined the prevalence and symptom severity of psychological distress among the group as well as the associations between suicidal ideation, poverty, and psychological distress. Two hundred seventy questionnaire responses were collected online via Google forms in Phuket in 2021. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Smart-PLS. Based on the results, most respondents had experienced mild to extremely severe symptoms of psychological distress. However, transgender women sex workers scored higher on depression and anxiety compared to gay men sex workers. This study confirmed the prominent associations between the study variables and the mediation effect of psychological distress. Poverty resulting from the pandemic imposes a substantial human cost for this vulnerable minority beyond the virus itself as it amplifies mental health problems. The findings further extend our awareness of the discriminatory treatment of Thai GM&TGW sex workers and address a gap in Thai law and policy for prohibiting discrimination against them. It is of urgent necessity for Thai public health and tourism policymakers to establish sound support interventions.

Defining Sex Tourism: International Advocacy, German Law, and Gay Activism at the End of the Twentieth Century

Defining Sex Tourism: International Advocacy, German Law, and Gay Activism at the End of the Twentieth Century

Corporate social responsibility practices within the scope of sustainable tourism: A research at Accor Hotels

CSR includes many activities such as environmental development, protection of human rights, efforts that will increase the welfare of the society, and observance of the rights of employees. Within the scope of the universal principles of tourism ethics and rules of ethics in business life, tourism activities that are contrary to the general purposes of tourism and the common values of humanity, as well as sexual tourism activities especially involving children, are condemned and calls are made to combat such activities within the framework of international law (UNWTO,2022). Sexual exploitation of children in the tourism sector is the sexual exploitation of children by a person who leaves their own settlement, region or country and goes to other places. Transportation companies, tourism companies and the accommodation sector can also take part in such of the above scenarios. It is acknowledged that CSR practices have an important role in accommodation businesses, especially in international hotel chains. Therefore, this study, aim to investigate what the CSR activities of Accor accommodation businesses are. The semi-structured interview technique was used in the study. As a result of the interviews with the managers of Accor Accommodation Enterprises in Hungary, it has been concluded that accommodation businesses give importance to CSR activities and generally tend to social and environmental activities.

Child Sex Tourism: Ambiguous Spaces in Bali

ABSTRACTThe phenomenon of child sex tourism (CST) is intensified by the increased mobility of people worldwide. Current approaches to fight CST predominantly focus on enforcing legislation and disrupting the cycle of demand and supply, yet they have proven largely ineffective. This paper highlights the enabling properties of CST spaces in Bali and takes a new approach by focusing on the ambiguity of place, authority structures and actors. The analysis identifies four CST spaces – private homes, brothels, spa massage parlours and orphanages – which enable the persistence of CST. Understanding the ‘socio‐spatial properties’ of risk locations is key to disrupting and fighting CST more effectively.

Influence of Girl Child Involvement in Commercial Sex Exploitation on Students’ Completion of Secondary Education in Msambweni Sub County, Kenya

Female students’ completion rate of secondary school education is a concern in developing countries where generally women participation in socio economic development of these nations is wanting. A number of issues have been cited by various scholars as the causes for meager participation of female learners in middle level education. In Africa, mixed results arise from different social, cultural and economic factors influencing the female students’ education. In Kenya, in order to ascertain the effect of various aspects on girl child education, various studies have been carried out. In Msambweni Sub County, commercial carnal abuse of minors is rampant putting the sub county in a wanting status. The different practices of commercial sexual abuse of minors consist of sexual abuse by tourists and child prostitution that have emerged to be on the rise as a result of the trending social beliefs, attitudes and practices. The core intention of this study was to find out girl child’s involvement in commercial sex exploitation and its influence on learner’s completion rate of education at secondary school level in Msambweni Sub County. The research was driven by four objectives which focused on girl child involvement in child sex tourism, early marriages, teenage pregnancies and child prostitution and the influence on students’ completion rate of secondary school learning in Msambweni Sub County. This study employed a descriptive research design targeting all tutors and learners in public mixed and girls’ secondary school learning institutions in Msambweni Sub-County and county quality assurance officer for education Kwale County. The research also used a logical sampling technique to choose the respondents. Data collection was done by use of questionnaires consisting of both closed and open ended questions together with the use document analysis schedule. The results were evaluated using a statistical data analysis software notably Statistical Package for Social Sciences-SPSS. Presentation of results was by use of charts, frequency tables and percentages. Several respondents (72%) concurred with the fact that the different forms of CSEC are evidently rampant in Msambweni Sub County. From the findings of this study it has been established that girl child involvement in commercial sex exploitation of children interrupts, delays or denies them the opportunity to complete secondary education. The researcher recommends that relevant programs be developed and facilitated by both government and non-governmental bodies to create awareness on the long term benefits of completing secondary education over the perceived short term benefits of involvement in CSEC. Key Terms; Commercial sexual exploitation of children, Child sex tourism, Child prostitution, early child marriage, Teenage pregnancy DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-20-07 Publication date: October 31 st 2022

Attitudes towards Slum Tourism in Mumbai, India: Analysis of Positive and Negative Impacts

Tourism has grown exponentially in the 21st century and continues to be one of the rapidly growing industries in the world in terms of revenue generation and employment opportunities. It covers not only travel services and boarding-lodging activities but a wide range of independent but related sectors like transport, accommodation, food and beverage, and entertainment, among others. Modern tourism is diversified and includes several odd types of tourism, like slum tourism, dark tourism, and sex tourism. This paper analyzes the case of slum tourism to Dharavi, India’s commercial capital and largest city as well as the benefits and disadvantages that such kind of tourism has. It also attempts to understand the opinion of the common people and slum dwellers on slum tourism, while observing if the ten principles of the “Global Code of Ethics for Tourism” (GCET) have been fulfilled in the country. The results show that overall, the principles of GCET are fulfilled but much is still left to be done. On the other side, most of the slum residents accept slum tourism as a reality that brings more benefits than damage to their living environment and are of the opinion that tourism brings prosperity to them and to the country.

Tourists' perceptions of and reactions to child sex tourism: an exploratory qualitative investigation

PurposeUsing a qualitative approach, this cross-disciplinary study integrating modern slavery, tourism and marketing expertise outlines Chinese outbound tourists' perceptions of and reactions to issues related to child sex tourism.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 27 in-depth interviews were conducted, and data were analysed. Manual coding was chosen as an efficient method to process qualitative interview data given the relatively small sample size in this study.FindingsThree main themes emerged from analysis: (1) tourists' negative perceptions of child sex tourism; (2) tourist boycotts against child sex tourism destinations and activities as reactions to this socially deviant and illegal phenomenon and (3) tourist advocacy to enhance public awareness of child sex tourism. These themes suggest that tourists, as key tourism stakeholders, have difficulty accepting that child sex tourism occurs and would like to identify solutions to end illegal activities. Tourist boycotts would positively affect sustainable tourism development by eliminating illegal businesses, including those involving child prostitution, from the tourism industry. The qualitative method is applied here to develop a conceptual framework explaining tourists' perceptions of and reactions to child sex tourism.Practical implicationsA conceptual framework of Chinese individuals' perceptions of and reactions to child sex tourism has been devised using a qualitative approach. Although this framework takes child sex tourism as its focus, it can also be applied to better understand tourists' perspectives of other socially deviant or illegal behaviours within the tourism industry. The findings of this study provide valuable implications for various tourism stakeholders.Originality/valueThe current study makes significant theoretical and practical contributions to an under-researched topic – child sex tourism. A conceptual framework of Chinese individuals' perceptions of and reactions to child sex tourism has been devised using a qualitative approach. Findings from this study may inspire campaigns to protect children from being drawn into sex tourism. Efforts should also be undertaken to rescue children who have already been victimised by illegal businesses.