RIYADH — The Saudi Ministry of Tourism announced the update of four major regulations, including travel and tourism services, tourist guidance, hospitality facilities, and private hospitality units, in a step aimed at developing the business environment, raising the quality of services, and improving the tourist experience.

More flexible licenses for travel services

The regulation of travel and tourism services included simplifying licensing categories, expanding the scope of services, and increasing operational flexibility, while providing multiple options for the duration of the license and clarifying the rights and obligations associated with the service, in addition to raising the standards regulating the activity to ensure the quality of the services provided.

The tour guide contracts directly with the tourist

Amendments to the tourist guidance regulations allowed the guide to contract directly with the tourist and issue a reservation document, clarifying prices and payment, cancellation and refund policies. It also included simplifying counseling categories, combining more than one region and specialty, and organizing licensing requirements and approved courses.

Organizing reservations and electronic marketing
In the hospitality sector, the regulations included developing licensing, classification and operation procedures, organizing reservations, payment and electronic marketing, enhancing security and safety requirements and qualifying cadres, while creating specialized categories for hospitality facilities and linking classification to licensing and quality of operation.

Hospitality units move from permit to license

One of the most prominent changes in the private hospitality unit regulations is the transition from a permit system to a license, with the updating of application conditions, eligible properties, and operational, security and safety requirements, ensuring that the units are used for tourist hospitality purposes in accordance with applicable regulations.

The official spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism, Nasr Al-Ansari, said:

Updating the four regulations aims to implement new standards, raise the quality of services, and improve the tourist experience, in addition to enabling investors and operators to comply with regulatory requirements.

He called on investors, operators, tourist guides and service providers to review the conditions of their facilities and operational procedures and complete compliance requirements, noting that the updated regulations are available through the Ministry’s official website.

What do the updates mean for Gulf tourists and investors?
In terms of the tourist experience, the new regulations enhance the rights of guests through clearer requirements for security and safety and specific mechanisms for payment, cancellation and refund, which gives the Gulf visitor a greater degree of reassurance when booking. As for the Gulf investor, converting private hospitality units from permit to license opens the door to a more organized and transparent market, with clear standards for qualified properties and operating requirements, which reduces investment risks and encourages the injection of new capital into the Saudi tourism sector, which is witnessing rapid expansion within the goals of Vision 2030.