Exploring the Relationship between Beach Boys and Tourists Using Hostguest Theory: The Case of Bentota, Sri Lanka

Beach boys in the informal tourism sector are often identified as sex workers whose behaviour affect the tourists’ experience either positively or negatively. The relationships developed between the beach boys and the tourists constitute important phenomenon in tourism host-guest theory. The aim of this study was to identify the type of relationship exists in between beach boys and tourists in Sri Lanka. The sample consisted of eleven beach boys in Bentota National Holiday resort, whose interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed through qualitative content analysis method using NVivo 11 tool. The findings of the content analysis are uploaded in to the data set as tables. The results indicate that the beach boys make diverse attempts to initiate relationships with the tourists by being sales persons, guides, companions and sex partners while some beach boys eventually become the life partners of the foreign female tourists extending the horizons of host-guest theory.