![Sample our Tourism, Hospitality and Events journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5950/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Tourism-Hospitality-Events.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
After years of negotiation between members of the World Trade Organisation, the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is due to come in to force at the end of 2002. GATS is the first multilateral trade agreement covering the provision of services. The agreement, covering a range of sectors promises to have a significant effect on tourism service provision and perhaps pose a significant challenge to the efforts to develop sustainable forms of tourism. GATS is already the subject of considerable controversy and is heavily criticised by human rights, environmental and developing world activist groups many of whom see it as nothing more than a front for corporate domination of global markets. This paper aims to outline the GATS, examine its legal principles and explain the enthusiasm of its supporters and the concerns of the critics. Furthermore, it considers the potential impact of GATS on issues such as local community participation and tourism governance issues.
Keywords: