Resumen de Gats and Tourism

Misoon Lee, Hanna Fayed, John Fletcher

• The economic emphasis is upon globalization, and fundamental to this is the degree of trade liberalization that is one of the main objectives of the World Trade Organization. All forms of economic activity today are fundamentally dependent on international trade. Initially emphasis was focused upon international trade in manufactured goods but, more recently, this emphasis has shifted along with the significant growth in trade of services. International cooperation in trading services is not new, but the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) represents the first multilateral trade agreement effort to establish rules governing services trade, including travel and tourism, and to provide a framework for multilateral negotiations on improved market access for foreign services and service suppliers. This represents a significant step forward in international economic cooperation. It reflects a growing realization of the economic importance of trade in services, as well as the need for closer cooperation among nations in a world with growing interdependence