According to male members of new travel dating website MissTravel.com–which sets up (predominantly) young, attractive females seeking free trips, with wealthy male travellers who’ll pay for everything–beauty and a good sense of humour will get you (a free plane ticket) anywhere. Intelligence? Not so much… By Katie Martlew
What is Travel Dating?
For those new to the controversial concept of ‘Travel Dating’; it’s based on the premise that ‘only the beautiful travel for free,’ meaning, if you’re hot and single, but too down and out to afford to an overseas trip–you have the opportunity to see the world for free–on the arm of a wealthy ‘sugar daddy’ who is willing to pick up the tab; all in return for the presence of your company. Who said there are no free rides, hmm?
The man behind MissTravel.com is businessman and self-appointed “e-cupid” Brandon Wade–who has made over $10million from his E-romance empire, which encompasses websites such as seekingarrangement.com, seekingmillionaire.com and whatsyourprice.com.
Since the launch of MissTravel.com in April, much online discussion has ensued, with some labelling Wade as ‘E-pimp’, comparing Wade’s websites to a form of ‘legalised prostitution’, while others arguing that it didn’t break any laws. Wade himself is adamant that ‘no escorts are allowed on the website’ and insists they ‘take a lot of proactive action to keep escorts off the website’, insisting MissTravel is simply “a dating site that combines the adventure of travel”.
Most male MissTravel members say they prefer beauty over brains…
There are currently over 125,000 profiles on MissTravel.com, and over 84,000 proposed trips on offer. A recently survey carried out by MissTravel showed that 84% of members are looking for a romance while on vacation, with 62% looking for a life partner or long-term relationship.
When asking their wealthy members what they most looked for in a travel companion, 41% answered that beauty was more important, and 39% preferred a good sense of humour above all. The survey showed that worryingly, only 19% of men prefer women with intelligence.
On the flip side, only 22% of attractive ‘sugar baby’ female members value generosity and wealth above all other qualities, with 57% responding that a good sense of humour is the most important quality. Only 13% of women value attractiveness above all else.
Desperately seeking sugar daddy?
For any aspiring ‘sugar babies’ out there, Wade offers the following advice: “Don’t forget how hot and how fun you are, don’t skip a beat when you’re given a treat, keep your emotions (and expectations) in sugar-check, be brutally honest, and always be on your guard.”
He adds: “You might find that when presented with a very expensive gift or a large sum of money, you feel anxious and even guilty about accepting it. However, as a sugar baby, you must realise that part of your ‘role’ in an arrangement is to graciously accept the benefits from your sugar daddy,” Wade says.
“A sugar daddy wouldn’t be one if he couldn’t handle the idea of having a gorgeous, younger companion as his arm candy and special someone. In the same sense, a sugar baby wouldn’t be a sugar baby if she’s not comfortable with being given the finer things in life without having to work her butt off for it.” Says Wade.
So, what’s your stance on the ‘Travel dating’ concept? Outraged? Offended? Intrigued? Impartial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
