Tourism And Trade Negotiations Gathers Momentum
In spite of the widely publicized failure of the WTO Meeting in Cancún, it is still important that the tourism industry have a tourism position ready to present to CARICOM in November to be then taken forward by regional negotiators at the various trade negotiations. In fact, this could be the last opportunity for our voice to be heard in forming a regional negotiating position. . As it was reported in previous editions of the CHAdvance, CHA supported some research on the issues conducted by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), where many of our members were interviewed and attended meetings to provide input. A CHA delegation including the Director General, the CHA President Elect, and the Executive Director of the St Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association, attended a further meeting, along with CTO and other regional stakeholders, to review the findings and recommendations where the key issues were broadly agreed. Among the issues are included:

• Re-classifying cruise ships as a tourism service in the WTO negotiations, rather than keep it as a maritime transport service.
• The development of a regional policy for cruise ships
• The need for a regional definition of tourism.
• The preservation of some services sectors for regional, Caribbean-owned tourism services suppliers.
• Using trade negotiations to lower the cost of tourism inputs (both goods and services)
• Removing restrictions that foreign governments impose on their nationals traveling to the Caribbean.
• Proposing that "Hospitality Service Providers Programs" be introduced by the EU, US and Canada for the temporary export of Caribbean tourism labor to these markets.
• The recognition of tourism qualifications and credentials developed in the Caribbean in overseas markets.
• A review EU, US and Canadian legislation relating to standards in the hospitality sector that are applied to Cariforum hoteliers.

CHA and CTO have been working actively to sensitize governments, civil servants, and the private sector on the key issues and our positions, through meetings and workshops. While CTO has placed more emphasis on the protection of small economies and culture and heritage, CHA is supporting more of a free trade position, with protection where it is needed. Both CHA and CTO agree on the need for a new definition of tourism to include the cruise ships.

Source: CHAdvance October 2003