The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination."
Shirika la Utalii Duniani , chombo maalum cha Umoja wa Mataifa, unatafsiri utalii wa ngono kama "safari zinazofanywa ndani ya sekta ya utalii au nje ya sekta hii lakini kwa kutumia muundo na mtandao wake, kwa lengo kuu la kuathiri kwa namna moja au nyingine uhusiano wa ngono za kibiashara kati ya mtalii na mkazi wa eneo analokwenda kulizuru ."