6 | Thursday, July 16, 2020 CHINA DAILY CHINA

XIAOKANG@GRASSROOTS Village vacations help island paradise flourish

The homestay sector is driving rural rejuvenation and raising incomes. Cao Yin and Ma Zhiping report in Hainan.

nlike many tourism and years, driving rapid growth and related businesses that big changes. have suffered because of In response, Huang said the home­ the COVID­19 outbreak stay and catering industries will focus Uthis year, Tan Zhongxian’s homestay on visitors who are interested in the in Bohou village, Sanya, Hainan aerospace sector. province, has flourished. Located about 19 degrees north of The ongoing pandemic overseas the equator, the center is the launch has forced a large number of Chi­ site for geosynchronous and heavy nese travelers, especially those who satellites, large space station com­ regularly take island tours, to aban­ ponents, and lunar and interplane­ don plans to travel abroad. tary missions. Instead, many have chosen Hai­ In 2017, a plan was drafted to devel­ nan, China’s only tropical island op the center into a space industry province, as their holiday destina­ base called Hainan Wenchang Inter­ tion, especially as the outbreak has national Aerospace City. The plan has basically been brought under con­ resulted in unprecedented opportu­ trol nationwide, according to Tan, nities for Wenchang, especially in the who is secretary general of the finance and tourism industries. homestay association in Bohou. “A large number of tourists visit Yalong Bay in Sanya, Hainan’s our township, which not only boosts most southerly city, does not lack villagers’ incomes but also provides luxury hotels, but given the job opportunities. In the past few expense and similar facilities, “our years, average annual incomes have village homestays, with their grown at 7 percent — last year, Long­ home­from­home atmosphere, lou residents saw annual per capita delicious local food and beautiful income of more than 16,000 yuan,” quiet countryside, are more afford­ Huang said. able for the average tourist,” the “All the benefits are the result of 39­year­old said. the aerospace industry, the town­ According to a recent report in ship’s biggest tourist attraction, so Sanya Daily, the average occupancy we have decided to highlight it in our rate of the 1,000 rooms in the vil­ Holidaymakers enjoy leisure time by a pool at a homestay in Yalong Bay, Hainan province, in May. SUN QING / FOR CHINA DAILY future development. I believe the lage’s 34 homestays was more than two new industries (homestays and 85 percent during the five­day catering) related to aerospace will Labor Day holiday in May. For RURAL RETREATS Gender Unit: percent further contribute to our rejuvena­ example, 34 of the 38 rooms in Tan’s tion. However, we have just put the Number of tourist trips to homestay were occupied during 46.02 idea forward and specific measures villages in Hainan Unit: million male the period, with prices ranging are still being studied.” 10.24 from 150 yuan to 260 yuan ($21 to 10 9.5 53.98 Tan, from Sanya, echoed Huang’s $37) per night. female optimism. In his view, the various 8.1 Just a short drive from the sea, all 8 styles of rooms at homestays mean 6.7 the homestays in the village offer 6.0 Sources Unit: percent more choice for tourists and specially 6 shuttle services and special activi­ 4.9 39.83 38.30 21.87 designed buildings may also become ties, such as picking tropical fruit photographic attractions for visitors, 4 and visits to a rose valley. especially young people. Outside Cities in Village in Visitors not only enjoy the usual 2 The plan, officially launched last blue skies and warm sunshine, but Hainan Hainan Hainan year by the provincial housing and also learn about local habits. 0 Occupation urban­rural development depart­ “To choose us is to choose a life 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 ment, noted that nearly 70 percent of closer to that of real Hainan resi­ 2.97 17 homestay consumers are ages 18 to Ages Monthly income Retiree dents,” Tan said, adding that the Other 26.16 35, and they mainly choose village Unit: yuan Company industry has helped villagers, includ­ Local tea is served to tourists at a homestay in Hainan last year. 3.69 homestays because of the natural Farmer employee ing himself, to become rich. LU PENG / XINHUA 60 0.95% 2.85% scenery, the home­from­home atmos­ 20,000 Unit: Last year, the Hainan Provincial 3.57% 6.18 percent phere and special room designs. 11.41% 12,000 General Department of Housing and Urban­ worker 45 11.53% Rural Development issued a village 9.04 18.55 Prospects, challenges 8,000 homestay development plan. 15.93% Teacher Government On June 1, a master plan was The blueprint called for govern­ 16.41 released for the Hainan Free Trade 35 Private ments at county and township levels business owner Port, which aims to build the whole to make better use of land resources 25.56% island into a globally influential high­ to develop the industry and rejuve­ Educational background level free trade port by the middle of nate local employment, plus the tour­ 35.08% 5,000 8.80 the century. ism, agricultural and cultural sectors. 2.50 Master’s or Tan and Huang said they had There are 556 homestays on the Middle higher degree read the details of the plan and will island, with 145 of them in villages, school keep an eye out for specific meas­ 28.66% and lower the department said. It estimates the 25 ures, as they believe the move will total will rise to 6,500 by 2030. Unit: promote the island’s village home­ Recognizing the homestay sector 3,000 percent stay sector and further drive rural 11.65 as an important way of promoting revitalization. 34.72% 11.06% High school 53.03 rural revitalization, the plan requires 2,000 or technical College or Although Hainan has seen rapid government agencies to identify local 2012 secondary university growth in village tourism, the pro­ characteristics and advantages and 16.77% school 24.02 vince still faces challenges in learning take measures to suit the prevailing A traveler examines lanterns hanging in the garden of a homestay. Junior college how to make full use of idle land in 18 1.91% conditions and expand training in LU PENG / XINHUA Source: Hainan Village Homestay Development Planning (2018-2030) LI XINLEI / CHINA DAILY rural areas if it wants to achieve fur­ homestay services. ther improvement of the village homestay industry, as laid down by Rising prosperity an electromechanical company presence in the village and Hainan “The earnings brought by the village. He estimated the number the plan. As a major holiday resort, Sanya based in Guangzhou, Guangdong in general. homestay industry are more stable. will rise to 50 by the end of the year, “Government departments will attracts a large number of tourists province. During a business trip to To Tan’s delight, the homestay In addition to rental incomes, home­ adding that the residents are plan­ need to undertake more research on every year. “However, few travelers Zhejiang province, he found that brought in a substantial income. stays also offer jobs for villagers, ning a night fair and a range of activ­ exchanging information with the come to take a look at our village, many locals were benefiting from Many villagers contacted him and such as cleaning rooms,” Tan said, ities based on local customs. outside world about the require­ even though we have enchanting the homestay industry, which indicated their willingness to join the adding that last year per capita ments of our villages and how to rural scenery,” Tan said. impressed him and opened his eyes business, while a few companies income in the village reached 24,000 Stellar success attract more investors to develop “Some visitors just buy a few coco­ to the burgeoning sector. noticed the developments in the vil­ yuan, three times more than in 2016. Huang Liangji, deputy head of them,” said Sun Linghui, an official nuts at the village entrance on their “I thought homestays could lage and decided to invest in the Pu Chaoshan’s family was one of Longlou township in Hainan’s in Sanya’s Jiyang district. way to the seaside. We knew we present an opportunity to revital­ homestay project. the households lifted out of poverty Wenchang city — about 300 kilome­ The plan noted that a rising should develop tourism, but we ize our village, so I wanted to try,” Some villagers used their savings to after joining the homestay industry. ters from Sanya — has also recog­ number of tourists are seniors didn’t know how to promote it or he said. renovate their houses and open their With the aid of the village commit­ nized the prospects of the homestay who visit the tropical island to attract tourists to stay in our village.” He said goodbye to his decade­long own homestays, while some impover­ tee, Pu obtained a bank loan of industry and signaled his confidence enjoy the warm environment dur­ He added that before 2016 most of migrant life and returned to Bohou, ished residents rented their houses to 400,000 yuan and opened a home­ in its development. ing winter, so efforts should be the residents, including his own fam­ using his savings to renovate his investors under agreements overseen stay in 2018. In 2016, the China Wenchang Sat­ intensified to develop more long­ ily, made a living by pig farming or shabby house. by the village committee. He used last year’s earnings to ellite Launch Center, the country’s term village homestays and relat­ growing crops, while many of the He opened a homestay called Hai People quickly decided that run­ buy a car, which serves as a shuttle first such facility located by the coast, ed nursing projects. younger generation worked outside Na Jie, meaning “Drop by whenever ning homestays was preferable to vehicle for tourists. was opened in Wenchang. the village. you are free” in the language of the cultivating crops that were reliant According to Tan, 10 more home­ Its growing fame has attracted Contact the writers at At the time, Tan was working for Li ethnic group, which has a strong on the weather and climate. stays are under construction in the hordes of tourists in the past two [email protected]

FIRST PERSON years. By making full use of the I have figured out that the best environmental and geographical way to improve the homestay resources in different villages, industry and boost village revitali­ The business represents a magical new world including those by lakes, in valleys zation is to strike a balance or by the coast, the company has between residents, village authori­ opened different themed home­ ties and investors or developers, In 2016, when I graduated from design styles, including Nordic The following year, I used some stays nationwide in recent years. such as my company. Henan Normal University, I was and Japanese, were constructed on savings to open my own homestay For example, the homestay in Sometimes, it is easy to find a vil­ Feng Yi, 26, a lucky enough to meet a designer land that lay idle and we also reno­ in Wuzhen, an ancient water town­ Hainan province is our major sea­ lage to transform into a homestay homestay project who was starting a homestay vated an abandoned factory — we ship in Zhejiang. side project to fill the gaps in the location — the big difficulty is con­ planner in project in Moganshan, a leisure transformed the plant’s sewage It was a way of putting what I industry during winter. vincing the residents that they will Zhengzhou, Henan tourism and summer resort in Zhe­ tank into a swimming pool. had learned into practice, broaden­ Although Hainan has outstand­ benefit from the business and province jiang province. During the reconstruction peri­ ing my horizons and learning more ing natural views and tourism encourage the authorities to inte­ I participated in the construc­ od, I came to realize that a home­ about the industry. resources, the quality of service in grate and use idle land. had little understanding of tion and decoration of the home­ stay is not just about building Later, I returned to Zhengzhou, provincial village homestays is Usually, when the three parties homestays until I went to Tai­ stay, which allowed me to learn houses or providing accommoda­ my hometown, and joined a tour­ not good enough and the support­ join hands and reach agreement, a wan on a one­year student how to start a project from tions, but also a way of innovating ism and culture company as a ing infrastructure, such as village homestay project is close to exchange in 2015. I became scratch and the skills needed to and creating a tourist culture. homestay project planner. expressway gas stations and the becoming a reality. Iinterested in the industry and was run the business. I fell in love with the industry at As a result, I have traveled catering in villages, also needs to introduced to a magical new world. More than 60 houses of different that time. around the country in the past two be improved. Feng Yi spoke with Cao Yin.