Study: Erotic ads to increase during RNC

TAMPA - One of the benefits of hosting a national political convention is the positive impact it has on area businesses. Studies show that impact will include the adult sex industry.

In 2008, economists Scott Cunningham and Todd Kendall researched the impact hosting national political conventions had on RNC-host Minneapolis and DNC-host Denver.

They found the number of adult services advertisements on the website “Craig’s List” jumped by 30-75% in the two host cities (compared to similar-sized other cities).

“All we know is women are expecting there to be higher demand,” Cunningham, a professor at Baylor University, said in an interview via Skype.

Other research from economists suggest men will take advantage in the increase in supply. Lena Edlund from Columbia University and Evelyn Korn of the University of Marburg found that when some married men travel out of town, they essentially change their title from ‘married man’ to ‘man in transit.’

According to their research, a ‘man in transit’ is more likely to go to a strip club or solicit a prostitute.

Tampa will host the RNC next fall and city leaders are excited about the economic impact the convention could have. The simple conclusion from the research: Some of that impact could come from the adult industry.