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Tourism License in Dubai
The tourism license in Dubai is most common activity to be seen in holidays season. UAE prides itself on being a country that actively attracts millions of tourists each year. As one of the most popular tourist spots in the Middle East, the tourism sector can be a profitable asset to invest in.
The license is issued by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and our consultants can provide a helping hand to ensure all your documents go through successfully.
The tourism license is increasingly becoming high-in-demand, especially since the UAE has seen a boom in tourists after the relaxation of COVID-19 rules. Given the types of tourism licenses that exist and the extensive background work, it’s easy to mismanage the application for this license. With Business Link, you can avail our trusted services wherein we complete all admin tasks on your behalf and register your business, successfully, for you.
Types of tourism licenses
The DTCM is the governing body of this license and to make this more straightforward, they’ve managed to split the tourism license into four divisions. Each of these divisions exists with its own provisions and relevant activities.
- Inbound tour license
As the name suggests, the inbound tour license permits you to do business only within the Emirate of Dubai. Those with this type of license have the approval to carry out tours and trips with tourists, provided they have adequate insurance to protect themselves as well as the tour providers.
- Outbound tour license
Service providers can use the Outbound tour license to organize trips outside of Dubai, and internationally to other countries as well outside UAE.
- Travel agent license
Businesses under this type of license can involve themselves in carrying out activities such as selling tickets, hotel and resort reservations, organizing bus and car rental services etc.
- Tour guide license
A tour guide in Dubai is required to have in-depth knowledge of the city, tourist spots, culture, and places of common interest. Because of this, to obtain this license type, you’re required to take an exam, upon the passing of which you will be issued a tour guide license. This license is valid for one year, after which you’re required to take a refresher course to renew it. The license or badge is issued by the DTCM, and as a tour guide, you’re required to valid license to protect yourself from any penalties.
As a business consultancy firm, we aim to provide our clients with guidance that is unique and tailored to their cases. To discuss the pros and cons, as well as the business scope of these tourism licenses, get in touch with our experts and let us simplify these processes for you!
What activities are involved under a tourism license?
Since there are a wide variety of activities that fall under this license, the experts at Business Link can help you understand the possible activities you can carry out with this license in hand.
- Tourist visa services
- Issuance of travel insurance
- Booking hotels and resorts
- Selling tickets; flights, buses, and trains
- Car and bus rental services
- Selling tourism packages
Benefits of a tourism license in Dubai
While it may seem like there aren’t as many activities as part of the tourism license, due to the increase in demand for tourist-related activities, there is a huge opportunities in the form of activities now available.
- You can carry out our outbound, inbound, and travel agent activities under the same license with zero extra charges.
- With a tourism license, you can carry out a range of activities – provided they are relevant to the travel industry.
- Under plenty of circumstances, tourism businesses in the UAE can enjoy tax-free incentives.
How can you obtain a tourism license?
The process of obtaining a tourism license has always been relatively straightforward, however, with newer provisions, the DTCM has the process much easy to manage. Following are the documents needed to apply for a license:
- Completed application form.
- Passport copies of the applicant.
- A clean criminal record of the applicant/owner and manager of the company.
- A report stating the economic and technical feasibility of your business venture.
- NOC from the Civil Aviation Authority.
New provisions
The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) came through with much-needed incentives to make the licensing process easier for all those wanting to apply. Here are the announcements DTCM has recently made:
- Earlier, the DTCM had set a requirement to provide a bank guarantee for all types of tourism licenses. The amount was set at AED 100,000 to AED200,000. This requirement has now been removed – bringing the overall cost of a tourism license much more affordable.
- Another requirement removed is the minimum office space that applicants needed to have. This was set at 300 sq. ft. but is no longer needed.
- A provision that comes as a sign of relief is the need to submit the company’s manager’s documents such as educational degrees and experience letters.