The policy is meant to streamline procedures for granting necessary approvals and licenses, which will in turn encourage investment from entrepreneurs.

A joint initiative between Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoIC) is set to improve and enhance licensing procedures for tourism establishments.

Designed to expedite the ‘Qualitative Licensing Services’, the initiative aims to bolster the tourism sector by reducing the challenges faced by businesses in acquiring promotional and price reduction licenses.

The new plan introduces a simplified process for obtaining licenses related to seasonal discounts, festival-specific promotions, loyalty programmes, and special deals. This in turn will hope to encourage investments from entrepreneurs.

The promotional arm of Qatar Tourism, Visit Qatar, will manage the application process for this ‘single-license’ on behalf of participating entities and individuals.

As part of the collaboration, hotels will introduce a unified annual fee for all offers and discounts, which will be incorporated into their marketing plans.

According to Hassan Sultan Al Ghanim, the Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the MoIC, this initiative was introduced to simplify the process of obtaining specific licenses for hospitality and tourism establishments.

“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 said. “This would have a direct positive impact on the entire sector’s value chain.”

Provided that all terms and conditions are met and the necessary documents are submitted, licenses can be granted within one business day, he added.

Omar Al Jaber, the Acting Chief of the Tourism Development Sector at Qatar Tourism, said the new licensing initiative “aims to enhance tourism offerings across relevant businesses and provide necessary protection for the activities of these establishments”.