The paper will address the following question: What are the implications for tourism of the new trade rules on services which are likely to impact on our traditional ways of doing business? Over three main sections, the paper will provide a general background to the GATS Agreement as the first multilateral Agreement governing internationally traded services. As a relatively new Agreement, the GATS has three main components: framework rules, the annexes attached to the Agreement and the schedules of specific commitments made by WTO Members.

The paper will examine the pattern and content of the round of services launched in 2000 where developing countries paid great interest in tourism services. The current round of negotiations has had several phases- the presentation of proposals, the development of negotiating guidelines and the most recent phase which involves the market access negotiations. In the current round of negotiations some of the issues raised include: the need for a better classification of tourism services, Mode 4 issues that relate to the movement of skilled professionals in the sector and whether to undertake further liberalization of the air transport sector which is closely linked to tourism service delivery.

The paper also includes an examination of the tourism sector in Jamaica and links this to our participation in the World Trade Organization. Jamaica has made full commitments on hotel and restaurants, travel agencies and tour operator services. In addition, an analysis of our negotiating positions in the current round and implications for such positions given the peculiar structure of the negotiations will be made.

One of the core arguments put forward in the paper will relate to our negotiating mandate as a small, vulnerable economy. In this regard, Jamaica has to approach the negotiations very carefully as we seek to secure adequate policy space and flexibility for the sector. From a policy perspective, the paper will offer some recommendations on the “way forward” as we seek to ensure that our plans for the sector are fully buttressed by the ongoing work of our negotiators in Geneva and Kingston.