Emerging research from leading British institutions has unveiled a troubling connection between the business model of party tourism and the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in popular Mediterranean holiday destinations. Destinations such as Ayia Napa, Magaluf, Ibiza, and Mykonos, often celebrated for their vibrant nightlife and permissive party atmospheres, have been identified as fertile grounds where harmful social dynamics, exacerbated by commercial interests, perpetuate cycles of abuse. The newly published study, appearing in the journal International Affairs, provides a critical examination of how economic imperatives in tourism intersect with gendered power structures, often at the expense of tourist safety and justice for survivors of sexual violence.
The party tourism model, as defined by this research, is predicated on the creation and maintenance of “liminal bubbles” – controlled environments where normal social constraints are relaxed, and extreme behaviors are encouraged or normalized. Within these spaces, marked by the unrelenting promotion of nightlife, alcohol consumption, and sexualized entertainment, traditional social norms governing conduct are suspended. These zones, meticulously orchestrated by tourism stakeholders, foster an atmosphere where excessive masculinity and predatory conduct are not only tolerated but actively incentivized, shaping the behavioral expectations of visitors, particularly young men on ‘lads on tour’ vacations.
Central to the research is an incisive critique of how party tourism destinations embed and reinforce gender inequalities through a political economy that commodifies the bodies of women while glamorizing hypermasculine behaviors. Promotional materials for these locations routinely depict young men and women, often scantily clad, immersed in a euphoric nightlife environment, implicitly linking tourism sales to norms of sexual liberalization and male entitlement. Such marketing strategies are deliberately designed to attract a specific demographic seeking hedonistic experiences, yet they simultaneously structure an environment where sexual harassment and assault become normalized, overlooked, or even indirectly endorsed within the commercial ecosystem.
This normalization process is far from unintended collateral damage; rather, it is integrally connected to the profit-driven logic underpinning party tourism. For example, nightlife venues often employ semi-naked women as bar crawlers to escalate male spending and promote sex-related commerce, including lap dancing and strip clubs. By monetizing sexual objectification in this way, tourism operators commodify female bodies, crafting an entertainment industry that blurs the line between consent and coercion. These practices consolidate a gendered hierarchy in which male tourists’ desires are prioritized, while women’s safety and agency are compromised in the pursuit of economic gain.
From a sociopolitical perspective, the creation of liminal spaces within party tourism environments effectively generates what anthropologists might term ‘communitas’—a period or space in which individuals experience communality and heightened social bonding. However, in the case of party tourism, this communitas is gendered and exclusionary, facilitating antisocial behaviors such as sexual predation under the guise of celebratory freedom. This phenomenon is reinforced through the deployment of social cues within the party bubble, where excessive alcohol consumption diminishes inhibitions and heightens risk-taking. Moreover, these dynamics contribute to the silencing and marginalization of victims, as the imperative to sustain a destination’s marketing image often supersedes demands for accountability and justice.
Empirical data underpinning the study highlights the gravity of the situation, with official figures from the UK Foreign Office documenting hundreds of reported cases of sexual assault and harassment among British tourists in Mediterranean resorts. Surveys further reveal that nearly one in ten young tourists returning from such holidays report experiences of harassment, a statistic that strongly suggests underreporting and systemic minimization of SGBV incidents. The dissonance between the scale of victimization and the muted institutional response compels an urgent re-evaluation of how tourism economies manage, or fail to manage, the intersection of commercial success and human rights.
Critically, the research dissects the role of governmental and local authority actors in sustaining these party tourism bubbles. Facing intense pressures to preserve the economic value generated by tourism—a sector often central to regional economies—authorities tend to prioritize safeguarding the destination brand over addressing complaints of sexual violence transparently and effectively. This protective stance results in victim silencing and institutional inertia, which reinforce cycles of abuse and erode trust in official mechanisms. Such tendencies are antithetical to established principles of human rights and public safety, revealing an uneasy prioritization of economic over ethical considerations.
The political economy lens applied by the researchers elucidates how party tourism operates within a complex system where gender inequalities and commercial incentives mutually reinforce one another. The inherent contradictions of this model arise from a reliance on a reputation of ‘fun’ and ‘safety’ to attract mass tourism, while simultaneously facilitating behaviors and environments conducive to harm. This paradox hampers efforts to recognize and mitigate SGBV, as any acknowledgement risks undermining the profitability and attractiveness of these destinations, leading to a wholesale denial or obfuscation of the issues.
Importantly, the study challenges widely disseminated public health advisories and governmental guidance that, while well-meaning, implicitly transfer the burden of risk management onto potential victims, especially women. Precautionary advice urging women to monitor their drinks or stay with friends places responsibility on individuals rather than addressing structural and systemic failures in preventing assault. This victim-blaming dynamic underscores a failure to confront the root causes embedded within the design of the party tourism bubble and the surrounding sociocultural ecosystem.
The authors advocate for a paradigmatic shift toward sustainable and just tourism practices that decouple profitability from the perpetuation of harmful gender norms and predatory behaviors. Such transformative approaches would require coordinated policy interventions, enhanced regulatory oversight, and inclusive stakeholder engagement to redesign tourism environments that prioritize safety, empowerment, and respect for all visitors irrespective of gender. This would entail rejecting the glamorization of excessive alcohol use and sexually exploitative entertainment in favor of culturally sensitive and human rights-respecting models.
In synthesizing their findings, the researchers emphasize that party tourism’s current configuration facilitates an environment where sexual violence can thrive unchallenged and survivors are frequently left without recourse. Addressing this systemic issue is not only vital for protecting individuals but also imperative for the long-term sustainability of tourism-dependent economies. Without confronting these embedded problems, such destinations risk international reputational damage and, ultimately, economic decline triggered by lost consumer confidence.
This ground-breaking research contributes to the broader academic discourse on the nexus between tourism, gendered violence, and political economy, providing empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks that can inform future scholarship, policy, and practice. By exposing the dark underbelly of the party tourism phenomenon, the study calls for urgency in rethinking how leisure, commerce, and gender relations intersect within globalized travel industries.
Subject of Research:
Not applicable
Article Title:
Sun, sea and sexual violence: the political economy of party tourism
News Publication Date:
1-Jul-2025
Web References:
https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/101/4/1403/8157069
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf074
Keywords:
Sexual abuse, Abuse of women, Sexual harassment, Antisocial behavior, Human social behavior, Gender bias, Society, Marketing, Tourism, Recreation, Socioeconomics, Alcohol abuse, Drug abuse, Social facilitation
