If dating prospects are slim in Europe or the US, or if success requires significant effort, some men seek relationships in regions they perceive as more favorable.
North American and European men may form relationships more easily in parts of South America, Asia, and Africa. While this is often categorized as sex tourism, it does not necessarily involve the sex trade; it may also take the form of marriage migration or international dating.
Such phenomena can be regulated, but are difficult to eradicate.
Sexual economics theory posits that as long as the romantic or sexual interests of men from affluent nations align with the economic interests of women in developing countries, international dating and sex tourism will persist.
This framework also predicts that people hold opinions that align with their underlying interests, which are often concealed behind a moral facade.
Individuals may not even be consciously aware that they are pursuing agendas that serve their interests, instead believing they are acting out of pure virtue. According to this theory, behaving in accordance with one's interests does not require conscious awareness of those interests.
Viewed through the lens of sexual economics, the ideological positions taken by various social groups often align with their perceived interests.
Western men who engage in international dating or sex tourism often see no issue with it, or they claim that local norms are not their concern. In developing nations, they may utilize the services of local sex workers, marry local women, or engage in other forms of transactional relationships.
Similarly, young local women who derive material benefits from these relationships may not view them negatively, as they often rely on this income for themselves and their families.
Conversely, consider those who oppose sex tourism, often citing moral concerns.
Women in the home countries of these male tourists are often strongly opposed to the practice. From this theoretical perspective, their interest lies in keeping men within their own societies to compete for local partners, rather than seeking younger or more accessible partners abroad. Consequently, they may view the women sought by these men in developing nations as direct competitors.
While personal feelings of jealousy or competition may exist, they are rarely the focus of public discourse. Publicly, advocates deplore the exploitative nature of relationships between Western sex tourists and women in developing countries. When these issues are discussed, the opposition from Western women's advocacy groups is highly predictable.
To advance their cause, these groups may lobby developing nations to implement stricter laws regarding the conduct of foreign men, or lobby their own governments to restrict the international travel of citizens for the purpose of commercial sex.
Local men in developing countries often align with this opposition. They may resent Western men who successfully court local women, viewing them as unwelcome economic and romantic competitors.
Consequently, it is not surprising that some young women in developing nations aspire to marry men from North America or Europe, as this can offer a pathway to migrate to Europe or the Americas and achieve greater social and financial security.
Because local men may struggle to offer such prospects, they often oppose Western tourists and may support punitive measures against local women who associate with them.
Older local women in these regions may also oppose such relationships (unless their own daughters stand to benefit from the emigration route). This is sometimes attributed to a reluctance to see younger women gain opportunities that were unavailable to previous generations.
According to this framework, various social strata propagate opinions that align with their underlying interests. It suggests that people rarely arrive at these specific opinions solely out of abstract moral considerations or human rights concerns, but rather through the lens of self-interest.
The anti-sex tourism coalition is generally stronger than the coalition of those who benefit from it. Consequently, legal and social conditions for international sex tourists have become increasingly restrictive worldwide.
However, events that erode social order—such as war, terrorism, or natural disasters—can create new environments of economic vulnerability. In such contexts, men from affluent societies may again find opportunities to pursue transactional relationships in newly impoverished regions.