Sex tourism to Gambia started about 30 years ago, after Thomas Cook introduced cheap air/hotel package tours to former UK colony a tiny country, with a population of just 2.56 million, has lately attained a notoriety of being a notorious sex-tourism hot-spot for older women from the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.
Sex tourism to Gambia started about 30 years ago, after international travel agencies company Thomas Cook introduced cheap air/hotel package tours to the former UK colony.
It did not take long for Gambia to become a notorious cheap sex destination for older British women, with plenty of young local men who are ready to offer sexual services in exchange for money.
Many young Gambian males join the sex trade because, while the country offers very few jobs with very low wages, just a few days with an elderly European woman can net over $200 – the equivalent of a month’s earnings in Gambia.
Now, the West African country is determined to improve its international image and draw ‘quality’ international visitors, instead of hordes of mature European females looking to have cheap sex with younger Gambian males.
Gambian government officials are planning to target higher-end tourists and millennials by promoting ecotourism to get away from the country’s sordid reputation.
According to Gambian Minister for Tourism and Culture, Hamat Bah, with over 300 different species of tropical birds in the country, Gambia wants to shift the focus away from nightlife and towards nature.
Abubacarr Camara, director of the Gambia Tourism Board, said that the country wants ‘quality tourists.’
Gambia wants tourists that come to enjoy the country and the culture, but not tourists that come just for sex, Camara added.
Gambian authorities are now planning to institute new laws that would make it easier for police to detain both local ‘toy boys’ and older foreign women engaged in ‘suspected relationships.’