Qatar has announced new licence rules for the tourism sector as it looks to boost the quantity and quality of its offerings for visitors.
The new rules will make it easier for tourism businesses to deliver seasonal discounts, festival-specific discounts, loyalty customer discounts, promotional offers, and special deals.
The Tourism Licencing Department at Qatar Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), announced a joint initiative that facilitates qualitative licencing procedures for tourism establishments and businesses.
This initiative allows establishments to adhere to all regulations and legal procedures to ensure the safety and smoothness of the licencing issuance process.
This collaborative initiative aims to simplify and expedite Qualitative Licencing Services procedures for granting hotel and tourism establishments to stimulate the tourism sector.
MOCI and QT aim to restrict the challenges that entities in the sector face when applying for promotional and price reduction offers licences, as well as the procedures for festivals, events, and exhibition licencing.
As part of the collaboration, it was agreed to issue a one-fee annual licence that includes all offers and discounts offered by hotels, to be announced through their marketing plans.
Visit Qatar, the main arm of Qatar Tourism, announced that it will handle the application process for the single-license on behalf of entities and individuals participating in festivals, and events, which will contribute to streamlined procedures and enhanced cooperation between various entities within the sector.
This procedure safeguards businesses, expands industry opportunities, and allows for a more optimal and safe tourism experience for visitors.
In addition, there are streamlined and expedited qualitative licencing services which will come into effect this month.
Qatar Tourism is committed to collaborating with private and public stakeholders to facilitate licencing processes, enhance the ease of access for tourism establishments, and revitalise the sector. Continuous improvement in Qatar Tourisms licencing landscape aims to alleviate challenges faced by hotels, reduce financial strain during off-peak seasons, and offset application barriers.
The two main goals of this collaborative initiative are to protect the interests of businesses and maintain high-quality licencing standards to uphold the reputation of the tourism sector.