The authorities have warned of some individuals or companies taking advantage of the surge in demand for hotel accommodations this year, especially in popular destinations.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) warned that some individuals or companies are operating villas, apartments, guest houses, which are advertised and promoted through various social media channels without obtaining legal licenses from the ministry.
“Based on Article (12) of the Tourism Law declared by Royal Decree No 33/2002, states: “No natural or a juristic person may occupy a tourist site or region, or a part of it, or utilise, or exploit or dispose of it, without a license from the ministry. Nor may a hotel or tourist establishment be set up, utilised, or managed without a license from the ministry.”
“There is nothing wrong in such businesses, but they should be regulated to ensure the image of the tourism industry in Oman is not at stake in the eyes of tourists, both domestic and international,” said Sultan al Hinai, who prefers such stays during his foreign leisure trips compared to ‘star’ hotels.
The ministry urged businesses to obtain a tourist license to establish and operate these units according to the rules specified by the tourism law and the executive regulations stated to avoid penalties in case of violation.
Sources in the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism have told the Observer that the government is preparing a masterplan for the development of various types of tourism accommodations across various governorates.
“We want to tell the hoteliers and investors about the strategy in the accommodation sector. Many opportunities are available, and we are working on a masterplan for each governorate — villas, townhouses, hotels, apartments,” they said.
In places such as Musandam, the government is looking at alternatives like lodges on boats, accommodation near the sea and on the mountains as per the demand.
The government has been planning a working group that will also develop a bed and breakfast (B&B) and F&B incubators dedicated to SMEs.
A bed and breakfast are a small lodging system that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, operated by private family homes.
A senior official at the Ministry of Tourism told the Observer, “The B&B system is a popular trend in the travel industry but there must be proper licensing and rating systems and regulations so that some unscrupulous players do bring bad names to the industry and the country .”
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