Although it is estimated that less than two percent of all visitors who arrive in Costa Rica do so for the purpose of engaging in sexual tourism, this particular travel segment happens to be the most controversial. Thousands of men (and hundreds of women) come to our country each year to get to know some of the locals really well, but what about those couples who have already arranged transactional sex before they even clear customs?

That many people use sex to get what they want is nothing new; however, the use of Web technologies and niche online social networks to arrange sexual business deals has only been around a few decades. The 21^st century has given us Seeking Arrangement and the rise of the ultra-pragmatic couples who dispense with formalities and essentially agree to exchange bodily fluids in exchange for money, but even in these circles there is a tendency towards modesty.

Sugar babies, the (often young and attractive) women who flock to these sites such as Seeking Arrangement in search of the rich men who outnumber them, will admit to the monetary aspect of the transaction, but they will never admit to any sort of carnal knowledge. To be fair, not all sugar babies who post their come-hither selfies on these sites exclusively demand cold, hard cash. Many of them consider themselves worthy of more, and they demand luxury goods and travel in addition to currency.

Enter Miss Travel, a website where sugar daddies look for travel companions. Instead of fiat currency, couples agree on one party covering travel expenses to specific places in exchange for companionship. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica is one of the most requested destinations by sugar babies; this makes sense insofar as this country is often labeled as the most expensive tourist spot in Latin America.

Writing for the Matador Network, Claire Litton-Cohn describes Miss Travel as a website that is:

Open to men and women who are seeking companionship, this option never says anything about sexual interactions, but I can only assume there would be discussion of this as an option. If you feel comfortable communicating clearly, this website seems like a good option.

Miss Travel features the usual prudery found at similar sites in the form of disclosures warning members that prostitution is not condoned, etc. Inasmuch, we are to believe them despite their titillating blog content, to wit:

• Free-Spirit Bikinis in Cancun and Costa Rica
• The Sexiest Nationalities According to Miss Travel
• Miss Travel’s Least Sexy Destinations in America

What do others think about Miss Travel? Here’s a review from a young woman on SiteJabber:

I can say that this website is full of arrogant Americans, but I had two really good experiences. One with a (non arrogant) American , we videochatted via [Skype] for about 3 months, then he invited to travel to Costa Rica with him, sent me the tickets, we stayed in a very nice resort and spent a wonderful week there. My second experience was with a Canadian, we videochatted via skype many times, he sent me the tickets and we met […]

The following is from Don’t Panic Magazine:

Click on the ‘generous members’ and you’ll find a reel of men mostly either from Texas into real estate, or guys from Dubai who ‘prefer not to say’. Click on the ‘attractive members’ and you’ll see a list of made up part-time models who would JUST LOVE to go to Costa Rica with you, as long as you’re paying. Most of them don’t list their income or occupation but they make up for it in selfies and their ‘about me’ section.

Even the staid Forbes chipped in with a sassy opinion about the site:

MissTravel.com: Dating Site or Travel Ho Dating Site?

[… ] find your match at MissTravel.com, where the glamour of being a mail-order bride for a week meets the unmatchable pride of paying to have a beautiful girl on your arm in the world’s greatest cities.

All disclaimers aside, it’s pretty obvious that most of the men who will pay for the extravagant trips the website dangles in front of its Attractives will probably expect to at least get laid on their vacation. Is that prostitution?

Although the answer to Forbes’ question above should always be “it is not of our business,” the fact is otherwise. The proof is in the numbers: A handful of articles on prostitution (which is not illegal) and sexual tourism in Costa Rica consistently get the most views among all others published by The Costa Rica Star:

• Prostitution in San Jose Costa Rica, and the price of sexual services
• Sexual Tourism Thrives at Hotel Cocal and Casino in Jaco Beach Costa Rica
• Was a First Lady of Costa Rica Really a Prostitute?
• The Gigolos of Puerto Viejo: Ladies Pursue and Buy Romance in Costa Rica
• The Not So Underground World of Sexual Tourism in Jaco Costa Rica

“Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world” is perhaps the oldest adage in the world. For some reason, the sexual economy fascinates us and invites derisive discourse about its participants, and the discussion will often veer into insinuation of truly ugly topics such as substance abuse, human trafficking and socioeconomic inequality.

A couple having sex in Costa Rica is usually none of our concern, but let there be some sort of financial exchange taking place and suddenly we just have to discuss it. In the end, who are we to judge this couple?