Libertine Travel Is the $20 Billion Industry You Never Knew Existed

You might like to travel as a way to find the best far-flung boutiques and artisans, capture epic selfies, or even to try out new types of food (perhaps reindeer in Finland?). But some people have another thing entirely on their minds when they pack their suitcases and hit the road: sex.

We're not talking sex tourism — the kind involving prostitutes — but instead, so-called "libertine" tourism, which is a more exploratory and totally legal form. For instance, some folks are curious to check out nude beaches or swingers' resorts. And others... well, it's quite a range.

What's libertine you may ask? Basically, it concerns physical, bodily pleasures — and Forbes estimates that last year alone, more than $20 billion was spent on this niche type of travel. Such travellers spent $1.2 billion in France alone, where there are an estimated 500 swingers' and libertine clubs. Often, people looking for this type of travel are willing to pay large sums to satisfy their desires.

People want a place that they can be with like-minded people for sexual or intimate experiences without paying each other for, it or doing something illegal.

So where are they doing all this free lovin' at? Everywhere. We're talking cruises, resorts, trains, villas. You name it — there are options.

"Swingers and aficionados of foam parties, group sex, latex parties, exhibitionism, and other sexual practices reportedly pay large sums for the pleasure of mixing sexual adventures and tourist explorations in many corners of the globe," according to Forbes.

Those who are down with kinky travel know that a key destination to go is the Southern French port city of Cap d'Agde, nicknamed the Disneyland for adults, with its nudist population. Another hotspot Forbes cited as taking in big money as part of this trend is Cruise Desir, where people pay as much as $10,000 per person to leave Venice and travel up the coast to Croatia, all while enjoying "the sensuality of erotic games and provocative-themed soirees with hot shows.”

Closer to the mainland U.S. is Runaway Bay in Jamaica. It's a couples'-only resort that has a clothing-optional pool, themed dress-up nights, mirrors over the bed, and tantra kits in the room.

So people willing to pay for these experiences have a range of options around the world. And suddenly it makes a tonne of sense that the niche industry you may have never even thought much about captures $20 billion in market share.


Originally Posted On Bravo TV