Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
I've got a hazy understanding of the Qatar approach to political administration, and I don't think chum-ocracy is at work here. It's a cack-handed approach to covering the cost of providing limited health cover to visitors. The state isn't short of a bob or two, but maybe the cost of providing treatment to visitors has reached unacceptable levels even for Qatar's deep pockets.
There are simpler methods of taking modest amounts from visitors. Maybe tagging a couple of riyal onto each night's accommodation would achieve the same end in a simpler, more seamless way. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia achieves that end by incorporating health insurance in its fees for a tourist visa.
Qatar has (so far) resisted the temptation to introduce taxes and levies such as VAT and the daily fixed tax on hotel stays we face in so many other places. Last time I looked, Dubai visitors paid UAE's 5% VAT + 7% Dubai tax + an additional tourism tax per night related to the star-rating of the hotel. Together with hotel service charges of 10% this boosted hotel rates by around 25%.
I think adding the charges onto a hotel stay wouldn't affect the majority of visitors who use the health services.
I think as mentioned earlier on, the vast majority of travelers who use the free public health services are those who come on a family tourist visa, and stay in the country for many months. Many residents see Qatar as their home, those from Asian and other Middle Eastern countries. They often have relatives come and stay with them for long periods of time (not in hotels). Many of these are elderly.
I still agree that there's probably a better way of doing this.