B&Bs in Zhejiang Province, China: Developments and Issues

Abstract

Based on second-hand data, this paper summarizes five factors for the rapid development of B&Bs in Zhejiang Province: qualified and diversified products and services, strong government support, sufficient financial resources, successful marketing, and strong urban demand for the B&B experience. After outlining the positive benefits of B&B development in the province, the paper highlights three key issues caused by government-directed development: potential ecological risks, social problems such as exclusion and the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and the disappearance of local knowledge and vernacular aesthetics. We suggest that in the future, the government should differentiate between types of B&B owners (investors), and we propose four concepts to broaden theories on the management and marketing of B&Bs: rural nostalgia and B&B development and marketing, assemblage and the hybrid space reconfigured by B&Bs, B&B and rural (tourism) gentrification, and the resilience of the communities within which B&Bs are located.