Child Sex Tourism, Causes, Consequences and Roles of the Public, Media, Business, and Government in India

An international problem that has worsened over the past 30 years is child sex tourism. The international community has made many efforts to eliminate child sex tourism, however there are very few statistics, studies, and empirically supported data that may be used to stop the issue. Children, the future of the nation, are mistreated and served as sex objects to visitors from all around the world. The desirability of tourism has meant that this situation has gone unchecked, because the Indian government was previously more concerned with the money generated by the travel and tourism sector and refused to recognize the allegations made by various publications revealing child sex tourism in different states. However, because of its rapid growth, the government feel compelled to examine the issue with the aid of numerous NGOs and advocacy organizations for children’s welfare. Between 5,000 and 7,000 children are thought to be sexually exploited for profit in India. Due to India’s liberal regulations, inexpensive and plentiful supply of young girls and boys working in the marketable sex industry, and a supposed reduced prevalence of HIV/AIDS, it is thought that domestic and foreign sex tourists may be switching to India. There is no agreement on how common the issue of child sex tourism (CST) is in India, despite the fact that there are many vulnerable youngsters. This chapter discusses government, media, public, and commercial roles as well as the causes, repercussions, and legislation of child sex tourism in India.