B&B industry booms in E China's Zhejiang, generates over 10 billion yuan in 2024

Personalized B&Bs are becoming the preferred accommodation choice among young Chinese travelers. Zhejiang Province in east China, known for its picturesque natural scenery, is capitalizing on its natural assets and adopting a localized development approach. Zhejiang now boasts more than 20,000 licensed B&Bs. In 2024, the sector generated over 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion) in revenue.

Photo shows a B&B in a village in Songyang county, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Songyang county)

Mogan Mountain in Deqing county, Huzhou city of Zhejiang is home to over 95 percent of the county's B&Bs. 33-year-old Yan Chuanbo is a local B&B manager. A former civil engineer, Yan switched careers in 2020 to join the hospitality sector.

To hone his skills, Yan has taken courses at a local B&B manager training center. More than 17,000 participants have received training since the center opened in 2021. In addition to service and operations training, classes in tea art and coffee-making prepare managers to meet a wide range of guest needs, according to Yan.

Yan has earned a nationally recognized vocational skills certificate and is one of more than 4,000 B&B professionals working in Deqing today.

To encourage professionalism, the county offers subsidies for training and performance-based incentives for certified individuals. In 2024, Deqing's 846 B&Bs welcomed over 8.9 million tourist visits, with total revenue exceeding 3 billion yuan.

While some villages are known for their tranquility, Shishe village in Fuchunjiang town, Tonglu county, Hangzhou, stands out for its vibrant atmosphere.

In Shishe, a stroll along a stone-paved lane reveals mountains and a clear stream on one side, and ancient architecture on the other. The village is packed with tourists during holidays. It is home to a variety of businesses, including cafés, art studios, and bars, and is home to 32 B&Bs, many of which are multifunctional complexes.

Jin Yuqi, an artist from Shanghai, rented an old house in the village and converted it into a gallery and watercolor studio. The art gallery showcases watercolor paintings created by local villagers under Jin's guidance.

As of the end of May 2025, the Tonglu branch of the Postal Savings Bank of China has issued more than 4.37 million yuan of loans to support the B&B industry. In recent years, Shishe village has attracted over 40 entrepreneurs, including agronomists and photographers, more than 20 of whom have settled in the village on a long-term basis.

Local villagers are also benefiting from the B&B industry.

According to Jiang Yongfei, Party chief of Shishe village, over 50 of the village's 76 households now hold business licenses, and more than 90 commercial entities operate in the village.

In 2024, the combined collective income of Shishe, Luci, and Maoping villages in Fuchunjiang town reached 5.45 million yuan. The three villages hosted more than 300 B&Bs and welcomed 2.49 million tourist visits that same year.

"B&Bs are no longer just places to stay—they've become powerful engines of rural revitalization," said Wang Zhenyu, chairman of the B&B Industry Association in Tonglu county. In 2024, B&B operators in Tonglu generated 553 million yuan in total revenue.