The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) said it has engaged professional services firm PwC to conduct an independent impact assessment of the proposed increase in the General Consumption Tax (GCT) on the tourism sector, which would raise the rate from 10% to 15% effective April 2027. ^[1] O'Brian Heron, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said following the association's annual general meeting in Montego Bay, St James, that Jamaicans should have rights to and access to the island's beaches and coastline. ^[2] The Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JABBEM) called on Jamaicans to lobby the Government to repeal and replace the Beach Control Act of 1956, arguing that restricted beach access is indicative of plantation tourism that benefits foreigners at the expense of locals. ^[3] The Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JABBEM) previously stated that only 2.8 miles of Jamaica's 494 miles of shoreline, or less than one per cent of the coastline, are accessible to the general public. ^[4] The decision to commission the PwC assessment was made at an emergency general meeting convened by JHTA President O'Brian Heron at Half Moon in Montego Bay on Friday, August 28, 2026. ^[5] The JHTA said the PwC impact assessment is intended to quantify the consequences for destination competitiveness, visitor demand, sector investment, employment, and the downstream linkages that connect tourism to farmers, manufacturers, transport operators, and small businesses across Jamaica. ^[6] The proposed GCT increase was announced as part of the Government's revenue measures during the 2026-27 Budget Debate. ^[7] Christopher Jarrett, the JHTA's immediate past president, said in June 2025 that while visitors and locals alike should be able to access Jamaica's beaches, that access should be managed in a way that protects Jamaicans, tourists, and the country's coastline. ^[8]