Men's sexual behavior during sports tourism

ABSTRACT Although Both sport and sex tourism have been studied extensively in recent decades, until now, no research has been devoted to the sexual behavior of sports tourists. This article seeks to present an initial perspective on the phenomenon and to examine the behavior and characteristics of sports tourists’ sexual behavior when vacationing abroad. To this end, the research adopted a qualitative approach that entailed interviewing 22 young Israeli sports fans who traveled overseas with friends to attend competitive sporting events. Three main themes emerge from the findings of the study: the dynamics of being on vacation as a catalyst for sexual behavior; the individual tourist’s circumstances and his willingness to take an active role in the group’s activities; and the attitude of the tourists toward women and the sex industry. Two main conclusions emerge from the findings. The first is that group dynamics and free time beyond attending sporting events constitute a key component in shaping the tourist’s sexual behavior. The second is the perceived legitimacy of attending sporting events as a trigger for gender-based tourism.