Interesting article and great to see this type of information and conversation being opened up on reggaesteem.

The linked article about sex tourism is also interesting. It's not a new thing, Smile Orange covered it and I'm sure it didn't start in 1976, and it raises a lot of issues. There's quite a lot of discussion in the UK about the sexualisation of black men, especially African and Caribbean men, and how that feeds into detrimental stereotypes. Some black men are starting to speak about their experiences and how it has affected their careers.

Sex is a great thing and a natural human expression but it becomes problematic when its linked with other words like industry and tourism. As you say, there's a strong link between economic disadvantage and exploitation, and overall, it's not a great thing for personal, social and economic well-being.

Leaving aside sex tourism, the number one priority for women travellers is feeling and being safe, and the second is interesting experiences. Being able to travel alone, being able to move around freely without harassment (or fear of harassment), is fundamental:

the cleanliness of the place, atmosphere and level of security were the main factors when choosing where to stay

women these days are waiting longer to settle down and start families, and travel is a high priority. You only have to look at Instagram and see how many people are posting photos of where they’re travelling to, which also sparks the curiosity of others wishing to do the same

'off-the-beaten-track destinations', 'experiencing a rich culture' and 'once-in-a-lifetime natural experiences' are at the top of today's [women] travellers' bucket lists.

Source

The other major group of potential women travellers are the baby-boomers - just about the wealthiest generation the UK has seen and one of the largest population groups. These are women who have had successful careers, their children have grown up, the mortgage is paid, their pension is in the bank. More of them are single than previously, they're enjoying better health and have a long life expectancy (incidentally, women tend to be more loyal and provide more repeat business). They have a lot of disposable income.

Attracting these travelling dollars is intimately tied up with how women are portrayed and the stereotypes regularly perpetuated. A big change will be representing women as people in their own right rather than adjuncts and marginal to men. Reggaesteem has already done some great work with much more positive, respectful images of women - @dmilliz's Japanese girls-next-door and @super-irie's mermaids on the beach (I'll look for the post links later) come to mind.

Attracting this group of older women travellers may create some tensions and dilemmas for reggaesteem with some of the focus on younger, aspiring musicians and their fan base. There's going to be some interesting business discussions ahead.