Homestay housekeepers, encouraged by the thriving expansion of the rural tourism industry in recent years, are constituting a growing workforce in China, injecting new vitality into the country's rural revitalization drive.
As a qualified housekeeper at a homestay in Bohai Township in Beijing, Liu Huimin, not only offers customized services related to lodging, catering and tourism guidance, but also excels in skills, such as coffee making and flower arrangement that are popular among young people. Furthermore, she has a good understanding of marketing, advertising, and management.
"Some booking platforms for homestays that we are familiar with have been introduced. We use the list of over 80 operations on them to standardize and enhance the facilities and services of our homestay," said Liu.
Now, her efforts have attracted more customers to the village and have brought tangible benefits to the villagers.
"Since Huimin and her entrepreneurial team commenced operations in the village, they shared 50,000 yuan (about 6,980 U.S. dollars) in profits with the village collective within the first year of operation," said Wang Tianyu, head of the publicity department of Bohai Township.
In 2022, the updated version of China's official reference book on occupations recognized homestay housekeepers as a new occupation.
According to data from a human resources platform, the recruitment number for homestay housekeepers increased by 8 percent in 2023 over the previous year.
In February 2024, a national occupational standard for the emerging profession, which includes a five-grade vocational skills grading system for skilled workers, was released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security along with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Experts say this not only makes the new profession more standardized, but also attracts more outstanding talents to join the industry.
"Well-educated young people are bringing innovation, vitality and even diverse resources to rural areas. They will also attract more young individuals to establish roots in rural areas and that ultimately fosters cultural and talent rejuvenation in these regions," explained Long Fei, deputy secretary general of China Travel Agents Association.
New careers inject vitality into China's rural revitalization
