Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat met with Alain Viotti, an international expert at the World Tourism Organization, to follow up on the steps to update the Egyptian hotel classification standards. The ministry brought in the expert to review this system, which has not seen any update since 2006, so that it keeps pace with international standards.
The meeting discussed the new hotel classification standards, with the UNWTO expert reviewing what has been accomplished since work on the system began, including the matrix of new standards set in the system and its different star ratings (3, 4 and 5 stars), as well as by hotel type (fixed, floating and eco).
Viotti explained that the system will be applied in a modern technological way, using electronic tablets with their own operating system, adding that several programmes have been held to train and qualify Ministry of Tourism inspectors on the new system.
He noted that 23 inspectors from the Ministry of Tourism's Hotel Establishments Control Sector have been qualified on the new system, and 6 TOT trainers have been qualified to ensure the continuity of training and development.
For her part, Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat said all details of the new hotel classification standards will be announced by the end of next August, stressing that the project to update the Egyptian hotel classification standards system is the cornerstone for improving the quality of the Egyptian tourism product and placing Egypt in a competitive position on the global tourism map.
She pointed to the importance of including regulations for new types of tourist accommodation within these standards, such as fixed and mobile camps and eco-hotels, ensuring that they apply the environmental dimension and contribute to protecting natural and heritage assets, as part of implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and linking them to the tourism and environment sectors.
She added that the regulations governing staff housing at these hotels must be taken into account so that it suits the nature of the work and provides all means of comfort and safety, noting that there will be a special annex on staff housing regulations in the new standards.
Al-Mashat said all hotels will be given a period to adjust their status in line with the new classification standards, putting them in a competitive position with international hotels and benefiting the tourism sector in general.
In a related context, the UNWTO expert noted that, for the first time, an item has been included to measure the quality of service provided at hotels, serving as an indicator of staff efficiency and hotels' commitment to the continuous training and qualification of their staff, pointing to the activation of the "Mystery Guest" system, in which a guest visits the hotel to inspect it without the management's knowledge.
The meeting was attended by Ahmed El-Wassif, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation; Magued Fawzy, head of the Chamber of Hotel Establishments; Dr. Soha Bahgat, the minister's advisor for training affairs; Abdel Fattah El-Assy, head of the ministry's Hotel Establishments Control Sector; and some inspectors from the ministry's hotel control sector who were part of the team assigned to this file.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Chamber of Hotel Establishments, drew up the terms of reference (TOR) for selecting this expert and defining his tasks, and coordinated with the World Tourism Organization to nominate an international expert in this field.
