The minister highlighted the platform’s growing popularity among tourists booking accommodations worldwide.

In an interview with Asharq Bloomberg, Fathy said that the upcoming regulations aim to bring accommodations rented through Airbnb under the ministry’s supervision.

"Guidelines will be very simple and not overly complex," the Egyptian tourism minister explained.

According to Fathy, regulations will apply to various accommodations, such as serviced apartments, other rented properties, and even private rooms in shared homes to ensure safety and cleanliness.

"To differentiate between approved and non-approved listings, the ministry plans to implement an accreditation system," Fathy noted.

Properties and hosts meeting the ministry's standards will be marked as accredited, adding value to their listings and boosting user trust. 

This move is expected to bolster Egypt’s tourism sector while maintaining a high standard of hospitality and safety for visitors.

Founded in 2008 in San Francisco, Airbnb is a global online marketplace that connects people looking to rent out their homes, apartments, or rooms with travellers seeking accommodations. It offers listings in over 220 countries and regions worldwide.

Airbnb's growing presence in Egypt coincides with the country’s efforts to develop the hospitality sector, including building more hotel rooms and diversifying accommodation options.

Tourism is one of Egypt’s key sources of foreign currency.

The government has developed a national tourism strategy to attract 30 million tourists by 2028.

To achieve this goal, around 250,000 hotel rooms would be built.

In February, the total number of hotel rooms across the country reached over 220,000 rooms.

In July, the cabinet approved a new initiative worth EGP 50 billion to support the tourism sector by building and operating new hotel rooms.

In 2023, Egypt welcomed 14.906 million tourists and 7.069 million in the first half of 2024.