On 7 August 2012, Qatar passed new Tourism Law No. 6 of 2012
(the "Tourism Law") superseding Law No. 7 of 1982 which
was limited to regulating travel and tourism agencies.The new law
covers the hospitality industry, including hotels and resorts, as
well as tourism facilities, tourism activities and tourist
guides.
In part, the Tourism Law requires all hotels to be licensed by
the Qatar Tourism Authority (the "QTA") and the Ministry
of Business and Trade and imposes a classification regime for
hotels based on the facilities and services they provide to be
evaluated every January. Hotels will be licensed for
three-year periods while tourism facilities will receive one-year
licences. The law also provides for a new profession of
"Tourist Guide" and imposes a one-year licence
requirement on the profession.
