If you are planning a cross-border tourism operation, your first task is to map licensing and approval gates before you sell a single tour. In Oman, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism introduced a framework that requires every tourism business to obtain a government license. The ministry stated: “No tourism activity may be practiced, nor any tourist or hotel establishment operated or managed, unless a license has been obtained from the Ministry.” The rules apply across hotels and tourist establishments, travel agencies, tour guides, adventure tourism operators, entertainment groups performing in hospitality venues, and business tourism organizers.
Entry planning also needs timelines and transition rules. Oman’s new regulations must be complied with by existing operators within six months. That kind of deadline changes how a foreign operator should sequence incorporation, local contracting, and staffing. It also signals that informal or smaller players may face sharper compliance pressure than large operators, because the framework is designed to enhance oversight and service quality and improve investment attractiveness. For foreign entrants, the practical route is simple in concept: choose the activity type you will provide, then align every operating step to the license requirement that governs it.
Entry Routes for Foreign Operators: Approvals, Risk Tiers, and Permits
Outside Oman, the sources show common “entry routes” that foreign tourism operators can expect to encounter: investment approvals, risk-tiered business licensing, and immigration/work authorization. In Taiwan, foreign (non-PRC) investors who acquire or invest in shares of Taiwanese companies (other than portfolio investments in exchange-traded securities) must obtain prior approval from the Department of Industrial Review under the Statute for Investment by Foreign Nationals. Taiwan also uses a “negative list” that specifies industries where foreign investment is prohibited or restricted, and restricted industries require special permits or licences from relevant authorities with additional conditions.
Indonesia provides an example of how licensing can be connected to business risk categories through an Online Single Submission approach. A business line can be categorised as low-risk, medium-low, medium-high, or high-risk. Low-risk operations may begin mainly by obtaining a Business Identification Number (NIB). Medium-low and medium-high risk businesses also need a standard certificate in addition to the NIB. High-risk businesses must secure further business licences, verifications, or permits determined by relevant government agencies or ministries. The same source notes BKPM Regulation No. 5 of 2025 reduced the minimum paid-up capital threshold for foreign investment companies from IDR 10 billion to IDR 2.5 billion.
Operational compliance is not only corporate. It is also personal. Iceland offers a clear warning on what can happen when tourism services are provided without the necessary permits. A British national was barred from entering Iceland for two years after authorities found he had been providing tourism services without a work or residence permit. He was stopped by police in Selfoss while transporting five passengers, and investigators later found the service had been marketed via social media. The case illustrates a practical requirement for foreign operators: match your business licensing to immigration and work authorization for anyone delivering the service.
Finally, investors should distinguish tourism licensing from broader investor or migration pathways that can affect market entry. New Zealand updated settings for the Active Investor Plus Visa Growth category, allowing donations to registered charities and specified conservation initiatives of as much as 20 per cent of a total NZ$5 million investment, with the remainder continuing to be invested in higher-growth assets. In a separate note on market context, South Africa’s tourism sector was described as welcoming nearly 9 million international visitors and 47 million domestic trips last year, contributing over 12% to national GDP. These figures are broader market signals, not licensing rules, but they can shape how foreign operators prioritise compliant entry.
What does “misa investor license tourism” mean in practice for a foreign operator?
Which tourism activities are explicitly covered by Oman’s new licensing framework?
What deadline do existing tourism operators face under Oman’s new rules?
How does Indonesia’s licensing route differ by business risk level?
What is an example of the consequences of operating tourism services without required permits?
