Booking apps ordered not to list unlicensed hospitality facilities: Ministry

Logo of The Ministry of Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism announced that booking platforms and applications are required starting today, Jan. 1, not to list or showcase unlicensed tourist hospitality facilities and private tourist accommodations.
 

According to the state-run SPA, the ministry said that the measure aims to ensure the quality of services provided to domestic and international tourists and visitors, across all regions and cities of the Kingdom. The ministry emphasized that violators will face penalties as part of the "Our Guests Come First" campaign, which aims to enhance compliance of hospitality facilities with licensing and classification standards and ensure adherence to the requirements and regulations outlined in the tourism law and its executive bylaws.
 

The ministry stressed the necessity for all tourist hospitality facilities and private tourist accommodations to obtain or renew their licenses or permits from the Ministry of Tourism before commencing operations. Failure to comply with licensing or permitting requirements will result in penalties, including fines of up to SAR 1 million and/or closure of the facility, in addition to public disclosure of the violations.
 

In response, the ministry notified all travel and tourism service providers, as well as local and international platforms, to promptly remove all unlicensed or unapproved facilities from their listings. Furthermore, these platforms must ensure that the classification provided by the Ministry of Tourism matches what is displayed on their platform, starting January 2025.