Guesthouses regulated

Cabinet recognizes business of houses for accommodating tourists in rural villages

The Cabinet published a new decree recognizing, and regulating, the function of guesthouses in the rural areas of the country.

The decree identified guesthouses as “homes arranged for accommodating tourists and visitors in rural villages and towns.” The law stated that guesthouses should not contain more than ten bedrooms (excluding those of the guesthouse-owners).

Guesthouses should preferably have a traditional architecture and should be close to touristic sites or to town squares.

The guesthouse-owner, or at least one of his family members, or an employee, should have a command of the English or French language.

The decree stipulated that the guesthouse-owner (or a member of his family, or an employee) should know how to cook traditional food. It also stated that the guesthouse-owner, or someone to replace him, must take training courses in cooking, hospitality, and tourism management. The training should be offered by an institution recognized by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT).

The guesthouse-owner should provide the MoT with a pricelist. The prices (in Latin and Arabic numbers) should be clearly posted at the guesthouse.