Between Precarity and Potential: Exploring the Impact of Egypt’s Evolving Gig Economy on Students in the Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Sector

The gig economy has significantly transformed the labor market, by offering a considerable number of workers the opportunity to work in a flexible work environment based on on-demand employment facilitated by digital platforms. The shift to gig work has become increasingly visible over the last decade, especially in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector, where short-term, task-based jobs such as tour guiding, content creation, translation, ride-hailing, freelance hotel services, and online travel planning are being performed by a growing number of young people, retired seniors, and unemployed individuals.
The main objective of the research is to assess tourism college students’ awareness, engagement, and perceptions of gig work, as well as to identify the skills required for success in these roles and to determine the extent to which students consider gig work as a viable employment option. The study also investigates the perceived challenges associated with gig work, such as job insecurity, lack of social protection, and income instability, in contrast to perceived benefits like flexibility, income generation, and skill development.
To examine the objectives, a quantitative approach was used. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed digitally to undergraduate and graduate students of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at Alexandria University, Egypt. The analysis of the data showed that 60% hadn’t used any gig economy platforms, neither as workers nor customers. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents explained that they weren’t engaged in any gig work, while over 20% planned to pursue gig work in the future. They highlighted that online selling and social media management were their main areas of interest. Additionally, the results indicated that the top-rated tourism, travel, and hospitality gigs among respondents were “freelance tour guides” and “travel planners/ itinerary designers”.
The findings also highlighted several aspects motivating respondents to engage in gig work. The most highly rated challenges by the respondents were “irregular income”, “delay in getting paid”, and “difficulty in finding clients”.  
Based on the findings, the study recommends that the Egyptian government implement targeted policies for legal reforms to mitigate the precarity of gig work. This would help secure the rights of gig workers and facilitate their integration into the formal labor market. Additionally, initiatives for digital skill development should be provided, along with efforts to integrate gig economy awareness into academic curricula.