Romance tours
Romance tours are tours that men take in search of a relationship, girlfriend, or even a marriage.<ref name="az">Template:Cite web</ref> In some such tours, the men and potential brides interact in brief parties arranged by the hosting company.
A large number of romance tours take place every year throughout the world. Romance tours first began in Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries,<ref>Origination of Russian romance tours: http://www.anastasia-web-tours.com/Home/Tours/tabid/69/Default.aspx Template:Webarchive</ref> but have recently moved into other parts of the world, such as South America.<ref>Romance Outsourcing: Tales of a Mail Order Bride Tour http://blog.sfgate.com/hleon/2012/01/25/romance-outsourcing-tales-of-a-mail-order-bride-tour/</ref> Tours also take place in many parts of Asia.
Once couples have met on a romance tour, an agency arranges "one-on-one" dates between the man and the woman he found most compatible. The ultimate goal of the tour is for the man to find a compatible wife.
Romance tours are just one part of the mail-order bride business, which may also include catalogs, CD-ROMs, and the internet.<ref name="vv">Template:Cite web</ref> The traditional romance tour, seen by some as superficial,<ref name="az"/> is being somewhat replaced by online dating as technology evolves. However, the two are closely linked, as a man eventually has to meet his prospective wife using a well-organized method of meeting and dating.
Romance tours should not be confused with sex tourism, because the ultimate goal of a sex tourist is usually not marriage.
See also
- A Foreign Affair (company)
- Female sex tourism
- Mail order brides
- Love Translated - a 2010 documentary film in which a group of men travel to Ukraine on a romance tour.