Rural homestays become more popular as a trel lifestyle

"Earlier, rural homestays were a niche business in China, but it has been widely accepted by more people now. Once people started to like such lifestyles, our returning customer will keep growing. Some of our customers come to stay a couple of days each month," Zhou said.

Besides accommodations, Zhou also provides catering services to customers and that revenue accounts for 60 percent to 70 percent of the total revenue. Most trelers stay for two days and one night, and their total spending on catering and accommodation together is around 2,000 yuan per person. At his homestay business, there are 13 employees in total. All of them are local villagers and their monthly income is around 4,000 yuan per person, Zhou said.

"Domestic consumers are increasingly pursuing tailored and personalized trips, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further fostered their habit of choosing bed-and-breakfast options. Unlike the early stages, rural homestays now provide better facilities and services, and more operators are willing to spend years to build their brand and reputation," Hu of Tujia said.

"Still, the proportion of homestays in the accommodation market in China is far less than the ratios in Europe and the United States, and the sector's growth potential is higher than hotels," Hu said.

In the long term, the potential room for future growth of rural tourism and rural homestays is remarkable, with the backing of forable policies related to the revitalization of rural areas.

The development of rural homestays has changed the trend of previous one-day tours to suburbs into more in-depth trips, and tourists can he more immersive trip experiences and improve the quality of their trips, said Yang Hu, director of the Guangdong Province B&B Industry Association.

"An effective way to increase consumption scenarios is to convince trelers to stay overnight. Rural homestays can also promote the comprehensive upgrading of rural tourism products and the industrial clusters," Yang said.