Customer Reviews

Sultry Climates: Travel And Sex

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Why do people travel? For Ian Littlewood, 'the sexual element is vital to tourism' (p.5).

His book offers a keen look at (sex) tourism through the ages (from the 17th century till today).
He uses therefore mostly the diaries of well-known writers or artists like Boswell, Wilde, Gide, Loti, Forster, Byron, Isherwood, Waugh, Gauguin and others.
For those who didn't read these diaries, this book constitutes an excellent documentary base for some aspects (sexual) of the lives of these men.

The author shows clearly that women as well as men escaped through travel from their unhappy (matrimonial) or dangerous (homosexuality) home situation, and also that their main goal was 'sex with the young', and sometimes 'with the very young' (paedophilia).

I recommend this book because it treats a modern subject, without dodging an often disguised but essential part of it.

Why do people travel? For Ian Littlewood, 'the sexual element is vital to tourism' (p.5).

His book is mostly based on the diaries of writers and artists like Boswell, Wilde, Gide, Loti, Forster, Byron, Isherwood, Waugh, Gauguin, with at the end a comment on the Club Med.
It constitutes a keen look at (sex) tourism through the ages.

Since travel began (the British coming over to the continent), the sexual component was an implicit part of the story. The official reason was culture (opening of the mind), but the unofficial one was sexual 'education'. The home comers couldn't disguise it, for they were infected by VD's.

Travel reflected and still reflects economic power and 'colonialist' superiority.
For the affluent who could afford it, Italy (and also Africa) was the main pleasure ground for women travellers; Paris and the Mediterranean countries (Algeria) for men. Their main goal was 'sex with the young', also the very young (paedophilia).

Travel was and is an escape. Now, an escape out of stress. In the former centuries an escape out of the home situation: for women, the subordination; for men, lack of sexual liberty and condemnation of homosexuality.

I recommend this book because it treats a modern subject without dodging an often disguised but essential part of it.