Rural B&B compliance on the line

With the hot market, the development of rural lodging has been put on the agenda around the countryside. April 29, Hainan Province Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department led the preparation of the "Hainan Rural Lodging Development Plan (2018-2030)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") was officially issued, which for the first time defines the definition of the rural lodging in Hainan and the positioning of the development of the spatial layout, product planning, policy support and other aspects of the comprehensive development of rural lodging development plan. Comprehensively formulate the development plan for rural lodging in terms of development positioning, spatial layout, product planning, policy support and so on. Previously, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has repeatedly pointed out the need to vigorously develop the rural B&B industry and promote the development of rural tourism. Shanghai, Zhejiang and other places have also introduced development plans related to rural lodging. China Tourism Association B&B inns and boutique hotels branch president Zhang Xiaojun previously pointed out in an interview, the current development of rural lodging in the country's provinces varies, the development of rural lodging is still the main solution to the problem of legalization.

Multiple places have introduced rural B&B planning

The "Plan" puts forward, relying on the province's traditional villages, beautiful villages, *** enjoy farms and other rural tourism resources, combined with the spatial layout of the overall tourism and urban and rural transportation network system, the formation of the Hai Chengwen rural B&B circle, the greater Sanya countryside B&B circle, the eastern recreation group, the western mountain and sea group, the central rainforest group, etc. "two circles, three groups" of rural B&B spatial structure.

The Plan also predicts that by the end of 2030, Hainan's rural tourism population will reach 50 million people, requiring about 6,500 short-term rental rural B&Bs.

The relevant person in charge of the Department of Housing and Construction of Hainan Province also introduced that through the development of rural lodging, firstly, it can revitalize the idle resources in the countryside and provide direct employment, and secondly, it is to enrich the system of Hainan's tourism and accommodation products, and to alleviate the problems of Hainan's tourism, which has obvious off-peak seasons and serious spatial differentiation.

In recent years, the state has continuously issued documents to promote the development of rural lodging, as early as 2015, the State Council issued the "guidance on accelerating the development of living services to promote the upgrading of the consumer structure", which indicates that "the active development of inns and lodgings, short-term rental apartments, apartments for long-term rental," the direction of the localities are also The localities have also introduced relevant rules to guide the development of B&B.

The end of 2016, Zhejiang Province issued the "on determining the scope and conditions of the guiding opinions of the B&B", which also talked about the development of rural B&B guidance, after which the Zhejiang Provincial Tourism Bureau also prepared the "Blue Book of Zhejiang B&B 2017", which covers the overview of the development of the B&B in Zhejiang, the development trend of the B&B in Zhejiang, Zhejiang B&B policies, regulations and standards, etc.; September 2018, the The General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government also formally issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of Rural B&Bs in the City, which encourages the use of resources such as rural legally-built homestead farmers' houses, village collective houses, idle farm houses, and unused collective construction land, to provide accommodations, catering, and agricultural and sideline product exhibitions for tourists to spend leisure vacations and experience the local customs and culture.

Zhang Xiaojun pointed out that the introduction of B&B guidance around the time is different, mainly in the country's provinces, rural B&B development is different, like Zhejiang and other provinces to develop some of the rapid development of some provinces on the development of rural B&B development planning is still in the making.

Legalization of the operation of the call gradually rise

In recent years, rural lodging as if "spring" like rapid development throughout the country. For a time, some popular tourist destinations such as Dali, Moganshan, etc. has also become a bed and breakfast "model student", in the surrounding landscape under the cover of the popular tourist destinations has become a bed and breakfast accommodation. However, in the development of these lodging hot behind, also attracted some environmental problems, before the media exposure of a number of Dali Erhai lodging, inns because of pollution of the Erhai "crime" and was shut down.

There are practitioners who run B&Bs, said these B&Bs have just begun to generate profits on the shutdown, which is a greater policy risk, in the face of such risks, the industry has no relevant laws and regulations to protect.

Industry insiders said the advancement of B&B development planning around the world has also put the legalized operation of B&Bs on the agenda. Previously, some regions introduced a new version of the tourism regulations, the B&B aspect of the norms, at present, some rural B&B aspects of the norms have to be further implemented.

Previously, there are some B&B operators to the Beijing Business Daily reporter said, whether for the city B&B or rural B&B, there is no special tax for B&B operators, the zone is still in the regulatory gap.

Zhang Xiaojun also pointed out that the operation of the accommodation industry, in accordance with the legal provisions of the need to have a franchise license, at present many B&B do not have, so it is not yet possible to talk about the legitimacy. The lodging operators also admitted that if they do not have the relevant documents, they will not be able to receive effective legal protection when operating.

Difficulties remain in the introduction of local standards

An Jinming, president of the Beijing Tourism Society, pointed out that in order for a B&B to operate legally, the first thing it must do is to define a B&B in a reasonable manner. Some industry insiders have also pointed out that because the development of lodging is not the same everywhere, there are differences in the definition of lodging in some places, which also makes the introduction of local lodging standards more difficult.

Beijing Business News reporter learned that, for example, in Zhejiang Province, previously issued in the guiding opinions of the B&B, a single building of the B&B, operating rooms must be within 15 rooms, the number of rooms over the number of discretionary transformation into a hotel for regulation; and in Shenzhen Dapeng New District of the B&B management approach, a single building of the B&B operating rooms may not exceed 14; even in some local guidance documents, and did not define the number of rooms and business area.

A B&B operator said its boutique B&B in Zhejiang Province did not have more than 15 rooms in a single building. The operator identified themselves as operating, polished boutique hotel, each store is equipped with hardware and financial, front desk, security, cleaning and other personnel in line with the hotel management, channel selection is also biased in favor of the traditional hotel OTA, just in the license application and business norms, the need to be carried out in accordance with the management of the B&B. It is this self-positioning and local definition of the contradiction between the current stage of the legal operation of the B&B is difficult to fully roll out the ambush.

In addition, Zhang Xiaojun also pointed out that, in accordance with the provisions of the law, to prove that the B&B is included in the public security of the accommodation of the special industry management, according to the public security department need to submit materials to the window for approval, the public security department will be granted a special industry license to solve the problem of legality. And to solve the problem of safety, mainly fire safety. So far, if the fire regulations are not revised, then many B&Bs will never be able to meet the fire standards.

Not only that, the uneven development of B&B in some areas, but also for the introduction of local B&B norms added difficulties. It is understood that, at present, Hainan's rural B&B about 400, rural B&B resources spatial distribution is not balanced, more concentrated in the north and south of the coastal areas and the eastern tourism belt, central and western relatively few. In addition, the B&B resource development level is low, the level is different. The industry said that if the current standards of the accommodation industry, there are many lodging will not meet the standards, certainly to be banned, but from the national level, is to support the development of the lodging industry, if the local lodging norms are introduced, how to define the standard is also the relevant departments around the need to think about.

Beijing Business Herald reporter Guan Zichen

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