Much more than bed and breakfast

The flourishing B&B segment is giving China's hospitality industry the power of a sharing economy

Ensconcing herself on the windowsill, Zhang Qiuhua sipped champagne and drank in the sights of a picturesque and tranquil rural setting outside. Fluffy white clouds floated languidly in azure skies above the green hills. Her chirpy 8-year-old daughter played on the slide beside her king-size bed.

For once, life seemed blissful, a wonderful treasure. Time appeared to stand still, and even the barks of dogs in the backyard sounded like part of the background shrill symphony led by cicadas in the bamboo forest that the wooden villa overlooked.

For accountant Zhang, the villa, a bed and breakfast, or B&B, facility in a bamboo village in Tonglu, a two-hour drive from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, was the perfect getaway after 12 consecutive days of stressful work. Far from the madding crowd, as it were.

The three-room villa charges about 800 yuan ($122; 103 euros; ￡94) per room on weekdays and 1,400 yuan on weekends.

"I booked the room four months in advance because B&B is so popular now that you've got to book early," Zhang says.

The village boasts more than a dozen such B&Bs. All are doing a roaring business.

"Summer is often the peak season for us, and we need to hire part-time housekeepers and cooks," says Huang Fenya, one of the B&B hostesses.

In recent years, however, the peak season has extended beyond summer into other seasons, she says. The most popular bamboo villa with double king-size beds, which can host a large family, is fully booked until the end of the year.

"We are having more guests this year, and we expect there will be more next year as guests help promote our place through word of mouth," she says.

As the legitimacy of the sharing economy as a growth driver gains wide acceptance, B&B is fast becoming a popular option for Chinese tourists such as Zhang.

In August 2016, travel agency websites saw a spike in searches for "B&B", surpassing those for "hotel".

So, spare rooms at rural homes in tourist spots are getting converted into B&B units for visitors, who want to mingle with their hosts, make new friends, experience local culture and lifestyle, savor homemade food and feel at home away from home.

Hosts, too, are happy playing the roles of local tour guides or drivers.

According to a report by the China Hospitality Association, B&B facilities in China have surged by 78 percent, from 30,231 in 2014 to 53,852 by the end of June, and are expected to surpass 55,000 by the end of the year.

Some pick their favorite B&B as a venue for significant days such as anniversaries, birthdays or even weddings, according to a CHA report, which surveyed more than 20,000 consumers across China.

Typical guests are those who travel a long distance to neighboring cities and villages frequently. They are usually married or have steady partners. They like to travel in pairs or in groups, and focus more on feelings and experiences than cost, the CHA report says.

About 57.5 percent of guests at B&Bs are women; 52.5 percent are between 25 and 39 years old; and about 52.4 percent expect the average cost of a Chinese B&B to be about 500 yuan per night, which is above the average spending at a budget hotel and equal to that of a four-star hotel in a typical second-tier city.

The trend of rising consumption among the increasingly affluent middle class is driving B&B growth in China, says Xie Yun, deputy head of the tourism and hospitality management faculty of Guangxi Normal University.

He compares China's B&B segment to "private banquets" in the dining industry. "As residents' purchasing power rises and consumption diversifies, it's not surprising that B&B is getting popular."

Yu Minliang, 23, a graduate student in Shanghai, prefers B&Bs over other types of accommodations when traveling. "B&B meals are cooked by the host. Very often, vegetables are homegrown. The hosts share their garden harvest with you."

Yu says sharing marks almost every aspect of a B&B stay. Unlike hotels, B&B enables guests to be social.

"At a B&B, you eat grapes from the vines in the backyard garden. Hosts and guests chat over a meal, and play with the pets like cats together. If you are not driving, fellow guests can give you a ride to nearby scenic spots," says Yu.

In many ways, B&Bs in China offer much more than just bed and breakfast.

The B&B concept emerged in Europe centuries ago, and came to be known as places for travelers for paid overnight stay at a stranger's spare room, with breakfast thrown in for good measure.

In China, however, B&B is about entertainment, leisure, experiences, new friendships and even social networking.

Chen Zhuo, head of Jinshe Hospitality Management, summed up the trend that most guests care more about what happens between bedtime and departure after breakfast. And in China, much happens during that time, so B&Bs are thriving.

wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 09/08/2017 page27)