Completely unprepared for what a mix of proximity to the US, poverty, and Caribbean openness can create in a country, I traveled to the Dominican Republic. I only later found out—from my sister, who had never even been there—that the country is a hotspot for sex tourism.
Once I arrived at the hotel, I opened Tinder in blissful naivety. Within a few hours, I had about ten matches. Excited, I messaged the most appealing women, always using the same carefully chosen opener: “Hi, how are you?”
The first one to reply, after a few humorless lines, I asked directly for her phone number. “We can meet up,” she wrote back, “but you know how things work here in the DR, right?” I said no—now a little less naive. She sent me a dollar sign emoji. A clear invitation.
After a moment’s thought, I replied: “If you think I’m going to pay for sex, then no. Sorry.” On principle, I reject prostitution. When I checked my phone ten minutes later, the match had disappeared. Tinder claims to crack down on prostitution and scams—but reality is different. It felt like 70 percent of the women I matched with in Punta Cana were interested in financial transactions. In a country where sex tourism is widespread, this is no coincidence. Poverty drives many women to secure a month’s income with just a few contacts. There’s also female sex tourism. Overall, it’s a sad development that can destroy a society from within.
In total, I had three Tinder dates in the Dominican Republic—two of which were okay. More on that and the social background later.
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