Who Is To Blame For Sex Tourism?

Although prostitution is illegal in the Philippines, it thrives in parts of the capital, Manila, that are popular with tourists.
Harry Thomas Jr, the US ambassador to the Philippines, recently sparked controversy when he told a forum of judges and government officials that 40 per cent of male tourists visit the country for the purpose of sex tourism.
He later apologised, expressing regret for his comments and acknowledging that he could not back up the 40 per cent statistic. The presidential office has accepted the apology and says it considers the matter to be closed.
But activists who have been campaigning against the sex tourism industry are disappointed that the wider issue has not been more openly discussed.
Who is to blame for the practice of sex tourism - is it the host countries or the tourists themselves? And what are the limits of ambassadorial speech?

"On this trip, I've had sex with a 14 year-old girl in Mexico and a 15 year-old in Colombia. I'm helping them financially. If they don't have sex with me, they may not have enough food. If someone has a problem with me doing this, let UNICEF feed them."

-Retired U.S. Schoolteacher

Sex tourism is a very lucrative industry that spans the globe. In 1998, the International LabourOrganization reported its calculations that 2-14% of the gross domestic product of Indonesia,Malaysia, the Phillipines, and Thailand derives from sex tourism. In addition, while Asian countries, including Thailand, India, and the Phillipines, have long been prime destinations for child-sex tourists, in recent years, tourists have increasingly traveled to Mexico and Central America for their sexual exploits as well.
Child sex tourists are individuals that travel to foreign countries to engage in sexual activity with children. The non-profit organization End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and the Trafficking of Children (ECPAT) estimates that more than one million children worldwide are drawn into the sex trade each year.