Quality begins with licensing...

Great and varied efforts have been exerted to regulate the tourist industry in the Sultanate of Oman. These efforts are aimed at boosting the sector's quality, notably hotel establishments since they are the places where travellers rest and the tourists check in before commencing their journey. The search for proper hotel establishments is the criteria that guides the tourist’s decision about the destination he opts for.

When guests visit a country, hotel establishments provide the most enduring impression. Actually, hospitality and its quality, in all its dimensions, are a true expression of any country's culture, as well as a reflection of its population's sophistication and preservation of fundamental values.

As a result, quality in hotel establishments is a critical issue and all efforts must be mustered to pay enormous attention to it. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism launched a campaign called 'Quality Begins with Licensing', which aims to guide tourists to choose licensed hotels while also encouraging investors and hotel establishment owners to obtain licenses to regulate the sector, especially since the number of unlicensed hotel establishments in Oman stands at 1,700.

This campaign is critical because it aims to improve the quality of hotels of all types to deliver delightful tourist experience and leave positive impression, which necessitates that hotel owners and all investors devote their full attention to this issue to ensure that they remain competitive.

Without a question, the quality of hotel establishments is an important part of any country's tourism industry and an efficient instrument for marketing them through the experiences of travellers who tell their relatives and friends about such experiences. Hotel operators must recognise this especially because today's consumer is clever and has more alternatives for picking a place to stay and a place to visit with just one click. Therefore, first, the image on reservation websites must represent the actual level of the hotel establishments, so that marketing efforts may be supplemented with tourism experiences. Second, hotels must keep up with the expansion of the tourism business. Finally, hotels must project a positive picture of the country as a whole.

Additionally, investing in reputation via quality is crucial nowadays in everything, regardless of cost or distance, and this is something that all investors must be aware of, regardless of their numerous investments in residential facilities of various categories and sorts. We have to remember that, in the end, a good product does not need excessive marketing, as it is said, it mostly sells itself.

Unlicensed tourist establishments, the number of which according to ministry has reached 1,700 hotels, not only violate the law by engaging in unlicensed operations and activities, which are advertised on reservation sites and electronic apps, but they also commit a crime against themselves as any emergency or misfortune may occur to them by visitors, and in this case, they will face harsher penalties than licensing violations. This is something that investors should consider.

Furthermore, tourist license benefits the hotel establishment as it is an approved certificate and a marketing tool in itself, giving visitors confidence in booking with this establishment and opening up new horizons for the development of investment in this sector when the hotel prominently displays this license and markets it on websites.

The additional value of licensing hotel establishments provides benefits that encourage all investors not to be complacent about licensing their own facilities to avoid exposure to the law. The benefits and facilities provided by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and other organisations must be used to develop facilities.

This campaign "Quality Begins with Licensing" was launched to signal that the government, represented by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, will not tolerate any violations in this respect. Of course, there are investments in hostels and hotel establishments throughout Oman, particularly in tourist areas, and some of them are heart-warming for the wonderful facilities they have, and the good service, and for this those in charge deserve all thanks and appreciation.

On the other side, there are individuals who manipulate and perceive things through profits, misleading others, and dodging licenses compromising on the quality and safety of visitors.

We hope that hotel establishments and their owners realise that the purpose of this campaign. Also, the ministry monitors what is going on and whomever does not come forward to license his hotel facilities will be forced to do so by the power of the law. The legislation prohibits quality manipulation and evasion of licenses and their criteria. On the other hand, as previously indicated, the customer is smart enough in picking the finest and seeking for the establishment that fulfills his needs and is at the level of what he spends.