Economics and legal influences on sex tourism

Sex tourism is a persistent and complex dimension of global mobility, often operating in legal and enforcement grey zones. Using a two-stage mixed-effects gravity model on a 1995–2018 dyadic panel (150+ countries), we estimate residual tourism flows unexplained by standard economic, geographic, and cultural factors. We find that destinations identified as sex tourism hubs attract significantly more inbound tourists than predicted. This effect is strongest where sex work is legal but weakly enforced. Economic inequality between origin and destination countries amplifies these dynamics. Interactions show that stronger rule of law attenuates excess flows, while permissive legality combined with low enforcement magnifies them. By isolating “excess” arrivals beyond structural determinants, we provide empirical evidence that sex tourism is shaped by institutional ambiguity and global income gaps. Policy implications point to coordinated, harm-reduction regulation that targets governance capacity and cross-border enforcement rather than legality alone.