The General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage (GATNH) recorded 230 violations in tourism activities during Sha’ban 1437 AH; most of these violations were related to the lack of operating licenses in the tourist accommodation sector. A report by the Authority’s General Directorate of Licensing and Quality indicated that there were 201 violations in the tourism accommodation sector, while 28 violations were detected among travel and tourism agencies. As for tour operators, only one violation was detected during the month of Sha’ban.
(375) operating licenses and classification certificates issued in Sha’ban
According to the report, the Authority issued (375) operating licenses and classification certificates during the month of Sha’ban, including (311) in the tourism accommodation sector, (8) tour guide licenses, (51) travel agency licenses, and (5) licenses for tour operators in various regions of the Kingdom. The report clarified that 175 classification certificates were issued during the month of Sha’ban in the tourism accommodation sector, while the number of operating licenses reached 136, comprising (77) operating licenses for furnished residential units, (44) operating licenses for hotels, (10) operating licenses for tourist hostels, and (3) operating licenses for hotel apartments, along with one license for roadside hotels and another for resorts; bringing the total number of operating licenses for lodging facilities issued through the end of last Sha’ban to 5,632 licenses and 4,243 classification certificates.
(870) hotels and (3,241) furnished residential units
The report showed that the total number of hotels classified in the Kingdom as of the end of Sha’ban 1437 AH is estimated at (870) hotels and (3,241) furnished residential units, while the number of licensed hotels reached (1,338) and furnished residential units (4,098). It noted that the majority of classified hotels are located in the Makkah region, where their number is estimated at (368), followed by the Madinah region with (175) and then the Riyadh region with (79) hotels. Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s classified furnished residential units are concentrated in the Riyadh region, with 908 units, followed by Jeddah (490), then the Eastern Province (354), the Asir region (264), and the city of Taif (190) residential units.
435 tour operators
The report highlighted that the number of tour operators reached (435) as of the end of last Sha’ban, operating through 475 offices, while the number of travel and tourism agencies reached 2,055, and there were 355 tour guides.
It is worth noting that the Authority continuously sends teams to the regions to ensure that tourist accommodation facilities comply with regulatory licenses, service quality, and set prices; Under the new tourism regulations, violators are subject to fines of up to 100,000 riyals, and facilities whose owners have not visited the licensing offices at the Authority’s branches and have not rectified their status by obtaining municipal, civil defense, and security licenses, and meet the Authority’s requirements.
