-Caveat Lector- From http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/12/02/print/0000114066
}}}>Begin Sunday, December 2nd, 2001 w w w . t a i p e i t i m e s . c o m A M e m b e r o f t h e L i b e r t y T i m e s G r o u p 20,542,026 v i s i t s War hits brothel clients in the libido NO DESIRE: Purveyors of the oldest profession say that the terrorist attacks on New York have taken a bite out of their businesses and the sex drives of their johns REUTERS BERLIN Jessie, a Berlin prostitute, has never been to New York and hasn't a clue where Afghanistan is. But the bubbly hooker says her brothel has suffered since Sept. 11 and blames the US terror attacks, the war in Afghanistan and the looming recession for shrinking demand. "The clients are staying away in droves," said Jessie, 33. "Demand fell 20 percent since the terrorism thing." The hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington sent after-shocks through virtually every walk of life, including the world's oldest profession. An informal survey found sex business booming in some parts of the world -- such as Nevada's legal brothels -- but prostitutes in other hot spots such as Amsterdam, Germany and Thailand reported a slide in their local sex trade. Sex operators in the US say their customers may be turning to hometown hookers to seek comfort from the mental anguish stemming from images of the September attacks. "People are scared. They want that connection," said Joe Richards, owner of the "Cherry Patch" brothel in the Mojave desert 120km north of Las Vegas -- one of the few isolated US regions where prostitution is permitted. "Any time a disaster happens, it improves the sex business," Richards said, adding turnover rose 30 percent since September. "They're spending money they think they might not have a chance to spend in the future." But in countries where prostitution is traditionally legal or tolerated, anecdotal reports indicate a downturn -- largely because Americans are not travelling abroad as much any more. The fall is often linked to a dip i n travel since Sept. 11, exacerbated by slowing econ-omies and recession fears. In Amsterdam, where prostitution has been legal since 1815 and scantily clad women sit in large windows for inspection, sex workers said they were feeling the pinch. "Business has been hurt because there are fewer Americans," said a spokeswoman for the Dutch prostitutes' association, Rode Draad (Red Thread). But sex is a major industry in Amsterdam and a stronger appetite from local consumers has compensated. "People turn to comfort in dark times," she said. In Thailand, the Americans are also sorely missed. "After the attacks on their cities, the Americans have been afraid to travel and they have not shown up here," said Praphan Poomchawsuan, operator of a powerful entertainment group in Bangkok's notorious Patpong red-light district. He said American tourists had once accounted for half of Patpong visitors but have disappeared since Sept. 11. In Berlin, a spokeswoman for Hydra, a lobby representing some 400,000 prostitutes in Germany, said there were about 1.2 million sex transactions each day before the attacks. "Times were better before," she said. "But I think the recession is taking a toll as well. Tough economic times usually hit the male libido. They worry about money." A Berlin prostitute named Gina, who has more than 15 years experience, said she was sure business would pick up again. "Men are always interested in sex," she said. "The demand never dies out." In other sex industry busi-nesses, there is no clear cut trend. Some establishments report an increase in demand by local customers but note that overseas travellers have become scarce. In New York, where the destruction of the World Trade Center has created an eerie war zone feel, emotions still run high. Nadia, 24, a dancer at Flashdancers at Times Square since 1998, said in the days after Sept. 11 the "gentlemen's club" was overflowing with customers. "They thought there was going to be a war here, and they wanted to be near someone, they wanted company," she said. "But now it is very slow ... people need to be with their families." This story has been viewed 1076 times. URL=[http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/12/02/story/0000114066] Copyright © 1999-2001 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 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