New law issued on tourism

Permission is required for holding any event in a hotel or a tourist facility, according to a new law issued to regulate various aspects of tourism in the country. HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani signed Law No 6 of 2012 on tourism which covers the hospitality industry, including resorts and tourism facilities and activities and tourist guides, according to the official Qatar News Agency.

Establishing any hotel or tourist facility or using an existing facility or administering it will require a formal licence from the Tourism Authority, according to the law consisting of 36 Articles, issued on Tuesday. The prescribed application form duly filled and attached with all the required documents should be submitted to the administrative cell at the Tourism Authority’s office.

Advertisement

The licensee should abide by the rules and regulations as set out in the by-laws. It is not permissible for him to alter the approved name of the facility or transfer it to any third party. No alterations or innovations should be made in the premises without permission from the authority. The bills issued to clients when they check out from a hotel should specify the type of services offered and the amount charged for each of them.

Permission is required prior to holding any event in a hotel or a tourist facility. Package offers to tourists should have clearance from the the Tourism Authority’s administrative cell. Persons acting as tourist guides will now require a formal licence.

The licensee should maintain proper records. They should be made available for inspection at any time. Violation of any of the provisions of the law coulf entail a penalty of QR50,000.

source: Al Raya Newspaper, Gulf Times