Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Qatar Tourism announce new licensing initiative

Doha, Qatar: The Tourism Licensing Department at Qatar Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced a joint initiative that facilitates qualitative licensing procedures for tourism establishments and businesses. This includes seasonal discounts, festival-specific discounts, loyalty customer discounts, promotional offers, and special deals. This initiative allows establishments to adhere to all regulations and legal procedures to ensure the safety and smoothness of the licensing issuance process.

This collaborative initiative aims to simplify and expedite ‘Qualitative Licensing 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 licenses, as well as the procedures for festivals, events and exhibition licensing. As part of the collaboration, it was agreed to issue a one -fee annual license 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 licensing services which will come into effect this month.

Hassan Sultan Al Ghanim, Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, expressed his delight for launching this initiative in collaboration with Qatar Tourism, stressing that “this was introduced to facilitate the procedures for obtaining specific licenses for tourism and hospitality establishments, where obtaining the license would take one business day, with the prerequisite that all terms and conditions are met and the required documents submitted, this would have a direct positive impact on the entire sector’s value chain. The tourism sector has been identified as one of the key sectors in the country’s economy, which contributes to attracting investments and increasing the revenues.”

He added: “This initiative comes within the framework of the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to develop the business environment and facilitate business ventures in the country, and to establish an encouraging investment environment for entrepreneurs and investors. It is important to shed light on the Ministry’s keenness to consolidate collaborations with various relevant government entities with the aim to facilitate and streamline procedures for granting the necessary approvals and licenses to establish a business.” 

Commenting on the initiative, Omar Al Jaber, Acting Chief of the Tourism Development Sector at Qatar Tourism, said: “The new licensing initiative by Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry aims to enhance tourism offerings across relevant businesses and provide necessary protection for the activities of these establishments. 

“Thus, providing the sector the flexibility to intensify its efforts by launching promotional campaigns that revive their work as well as provide tourists opportunities to enjoy attractive offerings, enhancing visitors’ experience.

“This initiative reflects Qatar Tourism’s commitment to develop and expand the reach of the tourism sector in the country, by including more tourism and hospitality businesses and focus on being comprehensive with its licensing protocol and elevating the efficacy and transparency of key services.” 

Qatar Tourism is committed to collaborating with private and public stakeholders to facilitate licensing processes, enhancing the ease of access for tourism establishments, and revitalizing the sector. Continuous improvement in Qatar Tourism’s licensing landscape aims to alleviate challenges faced by hotels, reduce financial strain during off-peak seasons, and offset application barriers. By continuously improving the tourism landscape, Qatar aims to encourage investment both locally and internationally, fostering sustainable growth in the sector.

The two main goals of this collaborative initiative are to protect the interests of businesses and maintain high quality licensing standards to uphold the reputation of the tourism sector.