Muslim-friendly homestay platform Muzbnb launches in response to discrimination on Airbnb
MUZBNB is tapping into the rapidly growing “halal travel” industry, and its founder believes Australia will be a top destination.
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A FAITH-BASED homestay platform for Muslim travellers has attracted more than 3000 subscribers in just over a month.
Founded by a group of US entrepreneurs based in Washington DC, Muzbnb’s goal is to give Muslim travellers an alternative to Airbnb, where they often face discrimination.
“Muzbnb was born out of a desire to create something innovative to serve our community,” founder and chief executive Hadi Shakur said.
“These are trying times for Muslims in the US and abroad and this company can serve as a beacon of light and hope that we [Muslims] are still here, still creating, still thinking about the sanctity of faith — not just ours, but faith in general.”
Muslims have often reported difficulties using sharing economy platforms like Airbnb.
In 2015, a traveller from Brunei sent a query to a Malaysian host, only to be told, “NO MUSLIM IN MY HOUSE”. In a series of messages, the host told the man to “find a Muslim home, don’t disturb our homes” and that “people are afraid of you”.
While Airbnb’s official policy is that it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind, others have reported similar experiences.
Last year, Daily Life columnist Zeynab Gamieldien reported receiving eight consecutive rejections on Airbnb, while The Guardian’s Iman Amrani wrote of being rejected while attempting to book a room in Paris.
“We’ve heard stories from Muslims of discrimination and difficulty they have faced when travelling,” Mr Shakur said. “Our goal is simple — to encourage travel, adventure, and the building of a global community where Muslims feel comfortable and accepted while travelling.”
Muzbnb is one of a number of businesses tapping into the booming “halal tourism” industry, fuelled by a growing middle-class with higher disposable incomes.
According to MasterCard’s 2016 Global Muslim Travel Index, an estimated 117 million Muslims travelled internationally in 2015, and that figure is expected to grow to 168 million by 2020, accounting for more than $280 billion worth of travel expenditure.
While Muzbnb is similar to Airbnb, it offers a number of unique features such as search filters highlighting homes that are close to mosques or halal eateries, have dedicated prayer spaces or are stocked with Korans or Islamic literature.
Travellers can also filter to see homes that are men and women exclusive, drug and alcohol free, safe for women travelling alone or child-friendly.
“Our feedback has been amazing,” Mr Shakur said. “We’ve received 3000 subscribers to our platform, worldwide news coverage, partnerships and numerous endorsements from community influencers.”
According to the 2016 census, there are 604,200 Muslims in Australia, making up 2.6 per cent of the total population.
Currently Muzbnb only has one Australian listing — a $100-a-night home located in the Western Sydney suburb of Mt Druitt, close to the Rooty Hill Mosque — but Mr Shakur hopes Australia will be a popular destination.
“We have received a good amount of interest from Australian Muslims,” he said. “Australia has a growing Muslim population and as we get the word out more, we are confident Australia will be one of our most promising locations.”
Originally published as Muslim-friendly homestay platform Muzbnb launches in response to discrimination on Airbnb
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