TOURISM AND THE SEX TRADE: ROLES MALE SEX WORKERS PLAY IN MALINDI, KENYA

This article deals with a subject that has historically received little attention in tourism studies in Kenya<\#0151>the relationship between tourism and the development of the male sex trade in Malindi. The article discusses the male sex trade from three distinctive perspectives: male—male sexual services, male—female sexual services, and pimping services. It explores some of the reasons inducing local men into the sex trade. It also discusses the linkage between the sex trade and tourism in Malindi and briefly considers the implications of the trade to the development of tourism in the country. The study concludes that the sex business in Malindi is a reservoir of hidden unemployment, as well as an overt innovative and enterprising force that is integrated in the local economy.