Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the interaction between hosts and guests in romance-oriented tourism, demonstrating how local people's views on sex (trade)-oriented tourism vary according to their interest and experience. In order to illustrate the nexus between the tourism industry and the sex profession, I draw on the data from a leading tourism destination area in the country – Malindi, (see map) where local residents view tourism as a creator of sex trade. Further, the interactions between the tourists and the host community has challenged behavioural patterns in Kenya, as the one-time or longterm relationships in the sex trade have become an integral part of the local tourist bubble. The trade has offered new roles for local men and women, exposing weaknesses within the norms of local social spheres. For instance, it has highlighted the vulnerability of local attitudes as local men increasingly take up relationships with female tourists who are willing to enter into casual sexual relationships. Thus, sex-oriented tourism entails the willingness of (foreign) tourists to engage with the ‘Other’, resulting in a profound involvement with contrasting cultures, to some degree, on their own terms.

Currently, tourism is the second largest contributor to national revenues after agriculture. From a general point of view, the national tourism industry has experienced a spectacular growth especially during the post-independent era, a potential already recognised in the first independent National Development Plan (1966/67-1972/73).