Wikivoyage has to comply with U.S. law (based on server locations), which includes anti-sex-trafficking provisions.
Sometimes the term "sex tourism" is used specifically to refer to travel for the purpose of sex with children. Any information on that, whether it be in the travel guide, on talk pages, or in projectspace, is against our policies and will be deleted on sight. Note that many Western countries have laws which allow prosecution of their citizens for this, even if the act takes place in another country. Also, the countries where it takes place are cracking down heavily on it. In Indonesia, for example, conviction carries a minimum ten-year sentence and the maximum is the death penalty.
It follows from the above, and from our illegal activities policy, that any mention of children or minors in the guides in relation to the provision of sexual services is totally unacceptable as well as being illegal.
In addition, regardless of the legal situation in any given destination, Wikivoyage does not include information on any purchased sexual services, including (but not limited to):
- Locations or listings of brothels or bars where sexual services may be purchased (directly or indirectly)
- Listings for saunas, bars and other establishments that take payments from prostitutes or their customers as part of the cost of sexual services (this does not include charges that are the same for anyone, such as a hotel's normal room rates or a bar's normal charges for drinks). A business that would otherwise fall under this prohibition can be listed if a discussion on the article's talk page can establish that it is of significant interest to a traveller not looking to pay for sex.
- Pricing info for prostitution
- Tips for picking up prostitutes
- "Quality" information on prostitutes in different destinations
Euphemisms for prostitution or paid sex may not be used to circumvent this; for example, "massage" should be used strictly for its dictionary meaning and not as a euphemism for prostitution. Expressions like "single males will be happy at this hotel" should be avoided. That said, if there is a common euphemism for prostitution in a particular area that is not widely known to outsiders, the term can be mentioned in order to prevent unsuspecting tourists from wandering into such establishments by mistake.
However, writers are free to mention other kinds of regulated adult entertainment venues on Wikivoyage in a travel guide context, such as:
- Strip clubs
- Stores for sex toys, fetish clothes and other sex-related products
- Pornographic cinemas
- Fetish clubs
- Saunas, love hotels, and other places where consenting adults have non-transactional sex, and
- LGBT venues (see Wikivoyage:Information for gay and lesbian travellers)
The mention of so-called or perceived "red light districts" is acceptable, provided that the context and specifics refer to the general location and non-sex-related aspects of such areas, as these may be useful to the traveller in general. For example, Amsterdam's red-light district is a major tourist attraction, even for those who have no interest in sex-tourism (e.g. soliciting prostitutes). The same goes for bars, restaurants, hotels or other sights that may be of general interest.