Romance Tourism

Romance Tourism

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Time Has Changed; thus the ways of cheating too. It’s the time to change the concept that only females are being sexually harassed. Here males are also sexually exploited in the same way. A generation of males who are ready to sell their body for money and luxuries has got deep roots in India also. A plenty of women seek to buy such males for their pleasures. These days we all are yelling that globalization has increased sex tourism here. Meanwhile, no-one is aware that romance Tourism also is rising in Kerala.
For Malayalees, sex tourism is a familiar word. Sex tourism grew in a greater level in Kerala beyond all the protests and criticisms. But in romance tourism, the preys do not realize that they were being exploited. Romance tourism is arranging male prostitutes for women tourists. In sex tourism, women and children are the products and men are the consumers. In romance tourism, men and children are the products and women are the consumers. These men are called as male escorts. Number of male escorts are in Kerala is very high. And ironically, the majority is highly educated. Sometimes boys are blackmailed to be male escorts. And that causes both physical and mental strains in boys.

Psychiatrists say that many approach them for treatments due to these reasons. India is a famous sex tourism center in the world. Like that, female tourists come to India and temporary husbands are available here. Women do not go any brothels for males. But they stay in different places and select any native of that place as their male escorts.
 Romance tourism is widespread in Italy, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Israel, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Lebanon, Jamaica, Barbados, South-Eastern Asia, Bali in Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand, Dubai, Senegal, Kenya, Gambia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Fiji, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Romance tourism is increasing in India also. According to studies of different organizations, since 1980 romance tourism takes place in a greater level worldwide. It was in 1840, this trend came from Rome. According to the studies,nearly 10 lakhs of women travel for romance tourism.
In Kerala, the majority of men become male escorts for money. Some agencies attract men for this job offering money and other luxuries. Men come to this area thinking they don’t get pregnant. There are many wives in coastal areas of Kerala whose husbands work as husbands of female tourists. They accepted that job to earn their daily bread. The female tourists those who buy men stay as paying guests at the houses of these men only. Thus their own wives prepare them to go with the tourists as their temporary husbands.

JISHA ELIZABETH

(The writer is a fellow of the National Foundation for India,

New Delhi.)