Something big just happened on Egyptian television.
And if you own a furnished apartment in Egypt—or you’re thinking of turning it into a short-term rental—this concerns you more than you think.
On a widely watched talk show hosted by Amr Adib, the government’s plan to license short-term rentals was the hot topic.
The stage? A roundtable of tourism experts.
The mood? Mixed. Hopeful… yet cautious.
Because Egypt’s tourism industry is booming.
But our infrastructure? Not ready.
Not yet.
From 200,000 to 400,000 rooms. Why is this urgent?
Tourism numbers are rising faster than ever.
We’re talking about 18 million tourists expected in 2025, with plans to grow to 30 million by 2030.
But Egypt only has about 200,000 hotel rooms.
That’s it.
To reach that 30 million goal, we need double the room capacity.
And fast.
Amr Adib didn’t hold back.
He asked the question everyone’s thinking:
“What if we suddenly got five million extra tourists tomorrow? Where would they sleep?”
The answer?
We wouldn’t know.
We’re not ready.
The rise of furnished apartments and why they matter now
Here’s where short-term rentals—like furnished apartments on Airbnb—come in.
Experts on the show estimate 40% to 60% of the future tourism capacity in Egypt could be handled by licensed, hotel-quality apartments.
Yes, you read that right.
Half the future supply could be furnished apartments.
But it needs regulation.
And that’s where the new licensing system comes in.
The new government decision is changing the game
The Ministry of Tourism just rolled out a new licensing framework for short-term rental units.
It recognizes three major rental models designed to standardize and regulate the market for tourists and owners alike.
The first category
Entire buildings operating as boutique hotels or branded residences with a minimum of 8 units. These are fully managed and licensed through the Ministry.
The second category
Individual units inside regular residential buildings. Even if you have just one or two furnished apartments in a building, you can now apply to rent them out legally.
The third category
Standalone villas or twin houses listed as individual hotel units. These can be licensed for short stays and marketed like any high-end accommodation.
This is no longer a grey area.
It’s official.
And it’s regulated.
Licensing can be great, but only if handled the right way
Let’s be honest.
Licensing every individual apartment sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare.
That’s not how Airbnb works.
It’s fast. It’s digital. It’s open.
Our concern at Kemetland?
Giving licenses to every individual will choke innovation.
The app economy doesn’t work through paperwork.
But giving licenses to property management companies?
That’s smart.
Because we already guarantee quality.
- Housekeeping ✅
- Maintenance ✅
- Guest experience ✅
- Safety and security ✅
We don’t just rent apartments—we manage them.
Professionally.
So when a guest books a Kemetland unit, what they see in the photos is what they find in real life.
No surprises.
No bad reviews.
Just great stays.
Bureaucracy vs innovation. Can Egypt keep up?
Let’s face it:
No one thinks Egypt can build a competing app to Airbnb or Booking.com in the next year or two.
Guests won’t suddenly shift to a local website or ministry-run app.
That’s not how global tourism works.
Tourists come because of the destination, not the platform.
If the guest is forced to use a non-user-friendly platform, they’ll leave.
And once they leave, they don’t come back.
3 things hurting tourism right now (and no one wants to say it)
You want real talk?
Here it is.
1. Airports
They’re outdated and overcrowded. We need smart gates, not long queues.
2. Trash
Cairo’s beauty is unmatched, but its streets are drowning in trash. Tourists notice.
3. Traffic
It’s chaos. Even with cameras. Even with regulations. We need movement to feel human again.
If we don’t fix these, all the hotel rooms in the world won’t matter.
A message to the government: Work with platforms, not against them
Here’s a win-win idea:
- Don’t compete with Airbnb. Partner with it.
- Don’t regulate individuals. License companies.
- Don’t stop progress. Guide it.
Create a verified portal with certified property managers.
Let guests book through their favorite apps—Airbnb, Booking, etc.—but make sure the quality is trusted and enforced through partners like Kemetland.
That’s how you protect the guest.
And that’s how you protect the brand: Egypt.
Tourism is booming. This is not the time to play small.
With major attractions reopening, events exploding, and global eyes turning to Egypt again—this is our moment.
Don’t waste it in red tape.
Let furnished apartments and property management companies like Kemetland help the country win.
Just make sure we all play by the same rules—with quality, trust, and professionalism at the core.
Conclusion
Egypt doesn’t need to reinvent Airbnb.
Egypt needs to elevate it.
Through partnerships.
Through regulation (the right kind).
And through licensed companies that actually know what they’re doing.
And for the thousands of homeowners who own apartments in Cairo, Sahel, Gouna, Suma Bay, Makadi Heights, and beyond—
this is your moment.
The market is open.
The demand is exploding.
And Kemetland is here to manage your unit with excellence.
Because guests deserve the best.
And so do you.
