Dubai: Hotels and other companies in the tourism and hospitality industry will no longer be required to pay a fee for public relations officers (PROs).
The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) announced on Sunday that it has waived the mandatory requirement for (PROs) to obtain a card prior to conducting transactions, such as obtaining requests for permits and approvals for a range of tourism and travel-related activities and services.
The government used to charge companies Dh1,000 per PRO card, aside from an annual renewal fee.
The waiver is geared towards providing a financial relief to businesses, particularly the small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, and it is in keeping with the vision to turn Dubai into a smart city.
It follows the recent government decision to waive the bank guarantee requirement for companies in the tourism industry.
Dubai Tourism had earlier announced that it is initiating efforts to release Dh250 million in bank guarantees that were furnished by tourism-related providers when they started doing their business in Dubai.
Commenting on the latest announcement to waive another fee, Khalid Bin Touq, executive director for tourism activities and classification sector at Dubai Tourism, said “the latest deregulation steps” are “part of the ongoing efforts to eliminate barriers to entry and growth for SMEs and start-ups, and reflect our commitment to bringing relief to small businesses and entrepreneurs by minimising red tape and introducing hassle-free processes.”
“The cancellation of this precondition for conducting official transactions is in keeping with the vision of His Highness, Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a fully-fledged smart city and the ‘Dubai Paperless Strategy’ launched by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.”
