We really don't think traveling to any country just to visit their brothels is particularly cool, but we did learn something amazing about sex tourism this week: it's worth a lot of money.

According to some Serbian "experts," in quite-near-by Bulgaria, the semi-legalized prostitution industry (other experts say it's illegal, so we don't know who to believe) brings in €1.8 billion ($2.5 billion) a year – and that's a whopping 7.2% of the country's GDP. They don't say quite how much of that cash comes from tourists, but they sure imply that it's a lot.

These same experts are proposing that brothels get legalized in Serbia, so that the country can rake in all the profits of sex tourism. They make the case that "foreigners associated Serbia with pretty women in general," so it would be easy to promote it as a destination for, well, a bit of night-time fun. Call us prudes, but we'll stick to visiting Serbia for its retro communist supermarkets and Rocky Balboa statues.

Related Stories:
· Serbia Should Follow Bulgaria Prostitution, Sex Tourism Model [No Invite]
· Germany Cracking Down On Recession-Friendly Brothel "Flat Rates" [Jaunted]
· Sex Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: jotor] ]]> amandak 2009-08-20T09:19:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/10/105057/441

Do not try this at home, even though Lily Allen definitely was far from home when she did it. While leaving Serbia after performing at the Exit Festival this week, the "Smile" singer got "bored at Belgrade airport" and hopped onto the X-ray machine at airport security.

Looking at the photo of the stunt, we say that Lily is lucky she pulled this in Belgrade because it would not be tolerated in the US or Europe, unless she's perhaps headed out of a private hangar with a TSA staff with a sense of humor. But since we know that TSA staff with senses of humor don't exist, Lily better keep her airport antics limited to the former Yugoslavia.

Now Lily heads to Dublin for the Oxegen Festival, and we continue following her as one of the most irreverent travel twitters out there.

Related Stories:
· Lily Allen's Twitter [Twitter]
· Airport Photo Shoots Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: TwitPic]]]> JetSetCD 2009-07-10T12:14:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/5/121752/7309

Oh, goodie! Someone has resurrected the sparse and depressing concept of a Communist-era supermarket in Belgrade. Everyone, off to Serbia! Inside of what was the first discount supermarket in Communist Yugoslavia, a Belgrade design firm has arranged various relics of cold war life and reopened the space as a concept shop.

With repurposed refrigerators, a VW bus, whole hospital examination rooms, and even bathroom doors ripped from a derelict freight elevator, the ReMiks Supermarket reinterprets the ascetic aesthetics of the "Golden Years of Communism" in order to show off spectacularly designed consumer products for modern living. Cracked cement floors and white warehouse lights dominate the space, in order to serve as an "imperfect background for the educated consumers' perfect fetishes." Sounds naughty!]]> JetSetCD 2009-03-05T13:56:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/7/24/34044/6642

German tourists have a bit of a reputation for doing what they please while traveling--remember the Germans who hogged the poolside seats so much that someone made a bonfire with their towels?

This week in Serbia, a German tourist made the headlines again. With a summer heatwave sending temperatures well over the century, a German guy and his two Austrian pals decided to beat the heat by cycling naked.

Partway along their Danube River route, the police nabbed them and issued fines of 10,000 dinars ($175) each. Sure, the fine would've hurt, but what about the risks to their private parts while riding nude: sunburn, getting caught in the seat, not to mention plain humiliation? But that's German (and Austrian) tourists for you.

Related Stories:
· Bus Driver Burns Pool Towels [Jaunted]
· Tourists Fined For Cycling Nude in Heat Wave [MSNBC]
· Travel Stories in Serbia [Jaunted]


[Photo: the boy on the bike]]]> amandak 2007-07-24T09:32:57-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/