In 1986, China’s first rural B&B was born. It was when a local farmer in the southwest China’s Sichuan province used his own newly built house to welcome visitors and experience rural life at its finest, hence the term agritainment came about.
The rural B&B industry may have gotten some sort of a face lift, after over 3 decades of continuous development, the rising aesthetic standards of Chinese travelers couldn’t just be ignored, thus it had the need to be reacted to. Millennials and those in the middle-class sector make up majority of this particular market.
Luo Shugang, head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism points out that Rural B&B should keep away from being just a simple stay-in place. Duo Meihao punctuated that rustic features may no longer be sufficient as modern feel becomes a strong requirement for competitive BnB’s. Needless to say, a popular B&B should be as clean as a hotel, as stylish as a villa and as cozy as one’s home for it to be a hit.
Emerging brands such as Yuanshe and Banbian Shanxia are joining the many other B&B keens as China’s market is going high-end, giving top local hotels a run for their own money.
