She works at the club as a pole dancer and gets a monthly salary but she has to supplement her income by engaging in commercial sex. But with the glaring recession, even the most generous men are tightening their pockets.

When not dancing at the club, Kemunto poses seductively along Nairobi’s famous red/light street (Koinange Street) where she works as a commercial sex worker.

“We are also feeling the pinch. Few and few men continue to seek our services and we are now forced to charge less. You know half bread is better than none,” she admitted.

As the world continues to digest the recession, albeit difficulties, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain some lucrative businesses, in this case, the sex trade industry and tourism at large.

While the tourism industry may be slowly picking up, its sister company-the commercial sex industry is plummeting. Generally, the international sex trade -- brothels, bath houses, escort services, etc. -- has taken a big hit from parsimonious clients tightening their belts the world over.

The once coveted tourism hotspots, namely Bangkok, Berlin, Venice, Beijing, Mombasa, Zanzibar among others are becoming no-go zones for many travelers who feel that ‘sex for pay’ is no longer a priority. With this new scenario comes a bigger challenge, this time, in the ‘Red light streets’ where cash-strapped travelers turn their backs on prostitutes.

With the uncertainty of the world economy, amid optimism from US President Barrack Obama, many tourists fear for their savings. The last thing one would think of is squandering cash on commercial sex.

The world’s oldest profession, hitherto very lucrative, is facing its worst challenges of its times. Recession-plagued sex workers, mostly women feel disgruntled as they are unable to come into terms with the scenario.

Bangkok

In Patpong, Bangkok’s most notorious red-light district, go-go girls count their livelihood by the number of sex tourists they entertain. This is according to William Lee Adams, a Times magazine reporter. ‘Three inches, three minutes, 3000 baht ($87),’ has been the routine in this famous street. Girls ranging between the ages of 18 to 30 have been living in the comfort zones of an ever-ending sex spree with travelers. Now the trend is different.

“I work as a pole dancer, entertaining a maximum of a hundred men every night. These days, business is bad and we find ourselves entertaining only a handful of men,” admits Gwangil. This 27 year old continues to tell us that she and her fellow pole dancers earn a monthly salary of $150 at the bar where they operate from.

“If you are lucky to follow a customer in his hotel room, you can earn more because you negotiate your own rates.”

With the commercial sex trade taking a U-turn, tourism officials in Thailand say revenues will drop significantly to the 35% mark this year. And in a country where prostitution is still illegal, some analysts think that the recession will encourage the government to legalise it, if for no other reason than so they can tax it.

And as the global economy plunges deeper into a recession, luring tourists back would mean spending more to revive the sector. Sex workers, who hitherto thought that they would be spared by the recession, continue to cry foul. From Berlin to Bangkok and even the Czech Republic, twi-light girls share the same frustration.

Berlin

While recently gallivanting in Berlin, Germany, I happened to set foot on various brothels –which are common in this bustling cosmopolitan city. As I trot in Belle Escort, a Berlin brothel, several girls sneer at me, as they think am the new kid on the block. But my dress code and approach are so formal, which dilutes their suspicion.

Here, the owner admits that her business as has never before faced problems, but the current financial crisis has triggered a sharp decline in clientele.

“I'd estimate that we have at least 20 per cent less people coming here.”

The owner adds that customers who used to come to us three times a week now limit themselves to once a week. And even then, they will bargain for hours on end.

“If they (customers) can't even afford to spend money on housing, food and cars, then how can we expect them to spend money on sex?”

Since 2001, prostitution in Germany has been legal and is relatively widespread, especially in big cities like Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, where women tout for business in the show windows of the infamous St Pauli district. In these cities, prostitutes who now feel desperate have turned to ‘special deal’ prostitution in which case they charge a flat rate Euro 60 for hours on end.

Hamburg

In Hamburg, Coy Merlchers, a cleaner at Geizhaus, a lucrative brothel in the area said the crisis means that customers want more service for less money. “They're becoming pushy and even blackmailing the ladies."

“Business is really bad these days; sometimes we even give free services in order to woo back customers.” A seemingly disgruntled 32 year old, who despite being so vocal, requested anonymity, admits to me that she sometimes offers discounted rates for sex, “I have very limited options these days; its either I offer sex for less or go hungry.”

Brothel owners have been forced to cut down on pimping by reducing the number of sex workers in the premises. They cannot sustain a high number of girls, who demand a weekly salary, with or without business. An analyst on commercial sex Uwe Grolmes feels that the waning turnover could damage the industry's reputation even more and that back-street prostitution could escalate.

“We face a scenario where many women are driven from the clubs to the kerbs to sell their bodies on their own terms. At the same time, an increasing number of men on a tight budget are also picking up prostitutes on street corners rather than in pricey brothels".

As it were, the world’s oldest profession isn’t about to take the recession lying down. Sex trade businesses are launching a number of promotional initiatives to invite clientele, from senior-citizen discounts to free shuttles to and from the spots where the magic happens. German brothel owners are fighting recession with special offers, including "flat-rate sex" promotions.

Based on all-you-can-eat restaurants, the brothels are offering customers the chance to sleep with as many prostitutes as they like for a single fee.

The owners have also offered rebates for pensioners, the unemployed and those on welfare. Some have offered discounts to taxi drivers and rubbish collectors on the 15th of the month, which is close to pay day.

Milan

In Italy’s Milan city, several brothel owners have launched a new all-in service offer: 70 euros that include sex, drinks and food.

And in a bid to arouse interest among wary spenders, customers in some Milan brothels now pay an equivalent of $111(almost 73 euro) to have as much sex as they want for one hour. In Italia, where the world’s oldest profession could claim a long and proud history, the Ministry of the Interior collects an annual 13 billion Lire in fees from 722 brothels employing nearly 4,000 girls.

Amsterdam

It’s a different scenario in Netherlands. While brothel owners in different parts of the world are forced to shut down, Jan Bik, a brother owner in Amsterdam said the recession hasn't affected his nine brothels because they target the "common man"; clients pay as little as $42 for half an hour with a woman.

And while many of his former customers have left, "people who would normally go to the expensive clubs are visiting us now, so it's evened out."

Well, rumor has it that the recession could come to an end sooner than later. This might sound as great news to the twi-light girls who depend on sex clients, to stay afloat. If that happens, most of these girls, according to my recent interview, are ready to embrace their profession with a bang.