Launched by QTA, the first phase of the e-licensing can be accessed through the QTA website www.visitqatar.qa by establishments by signing with their Hukoomi log-in.
“All hotels now have access to our e-licensing system. They can renew their licence, complete the process and get approval within 24 hours,” QTA’s chief tourism development officer Hassan al-Ibrahim said at their annual tourism industry Ramadan Ghabga in Doha last week.
“The second milestone that we are looking at is to get the rest of the tourism-related business (and exhibition organisers) into the e-licensing system; hope we can achieve it before end of this year,” he stressed.
It is expected to be rolled out later this year.
Hotels can also request official letters from QTA, which is required to seek approvals from other government entities such as the Ministry of Interior, according to QTA.
Establishments can also upload their profile, room rate, and marketing plan, all of which are submitted to QTA on a routine basis to enable the authority to monitor the sector’s standards. The system can be used in either Arabic or English.
“The e-licensing system has been developed based on feedback from stakeholders in the tourism industry, whom QTA engaged to identify the best licensing solutions that would encourage investment in tourism, meet the needs of tourism establishments and relieve them of bureaucratic burdens,” al-Ibrahim said in a statement.
He added that new system will be integrated with the hotel grading and classification system. It was launched in January 2016 to strengthen and maintain Qatar’s well-deserved reputation for excellence in hospitality through closer grading and inspection.
Qatar Chamber managing director Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi lauded the launch of the first phase of the system saying it will ease the process of licensing various tourism establishments.
He noted that such initiative aims to support QTA’s efforts in developing the industry with the participation of the private sector.
“We are approaching a period of increased growth in tourism, particularly with the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, and it is important that we plan for the years beyond the World Cup, to ensure we leverage this global event in reinforcing Qatar’s position as a tourism hub,” al-Sharqi stressed.
The new licensing platform is the latest in a series of systems and measures introduced to streamline licensing and lessen the bureaucratic burden for those wishing to invest in the tourism sector, according to QTA.
In 2016, the time needed to issue a commercial registration for a tourism company was greatly reduced by allowing the registration to be issued directly from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce without the need for further approvals from QTA.
The new platform was developed by QTA in collaboration with Malomatia, a leading provider of technology services and solutions in Qatar. It is compatible with smart phones, tablets and supports both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.
The e-licensing is currently being integrated into the single-window project for investor services, an initiative of the office of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani.
The single-window allows business owners to complete procedures that require approval from various different authorities through one integrated platform.
QTA
Hotel establishments can now apply for new licence or renewal of licence, and complete a number of other transactions within 24 hours using the tourism licensing e-services (e-licensing) system, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has said.
