Female Tourists Go to Senegal for Sex-a-Thon

Ahhh, Senegal, a land of blended influences -- France and the Middle East poured in to its West African mix. Foot-stomping music, awe-inspiring lush forests, great beaches, manic nightlife, phenomenal cultural scene, wonderful shopping and sex for sale. Huh?

It has been reported that women, especially Caucasian women (typically Europeans), are flocking to country to hire Senegalese boys and men for more than just taking them on tours of the country.

The Senegalese tourism sector has received some negative press lately, which focused on the growing trend of sex and foreign visitors to the country. Due to the wave of bad press regarding "love tourism," the country has experienced a decrease in visitors.

Last year, there were only 500,000 folks who visited Senegal. This year, the country's department of tourism expects about 350,000. President Abdoulaye Wade, who in the past swore to increase his country's crumbling tourism to an estimated 1.5 million in 2010, has reportedly done nothing to promote or even improve tourism efforts.

With male prostitution on the rise, according to UNICEF, the children of both sexes are harassing tourists in a bid to lure clients. Sex tourism does not only stop in Senegal, it is also especially a problem in Gambia, where a sizable influx of European women are seeking sex with underage boys, so called bombstars or beachboys.

According to UNICEF, the sex-for-hire victims are usually from poor families or are from the streets. They are also typically uneducated. The men are also usually unemployed. The unemployment rate in Senegal is at 30 percent and the average worker earns a mere $3 per day, according to the World Bank.

Many of the hirees argue that the services they provide are innocent. They often see themselves as tour guides who offer "extra services on the side." There are others, though, who contend that the sexual tourism hustle exploits both parties and has tarnished the country as a whole.

Many of the women who engage in this type of bi-coastal sexual lifestyle see it as mere companionship with benefits. Many of these women make more than a few trips every year to see a regular "boyfriend" or to simply "knock boots" with their pick of the litter.

One 31-year-old dreadlocked drum player, who had been dating tourists for seven years, told Global Travel News that he has no qualms with what he does. He has received countless gifts from his trists with tourists: CDs, USB drives, a guitar, an MP3 player and a DVD player. "I don't ask for money," he said. "We go out. They pay for everything. We have sex. Before they leave, they give me a bit cash to help me out. It's a question of survival. Life is hard. If I didn't have these women, I'd be struggling."

Watch how this same phenomenon plays out in Jamaica: