West Mountain in Taiyuan to boost homestay industry

The 2023 Taiyuan West Mountain Homestay Industry Conference and Homestay Lifestyle Season kicked off at the Taiyuan Botanical Garden and Taohua Island in Jinyang Lake on Sept 8.

The event aimed to promote the project, branding, and operation of the West Mountain homestay industry, establish a homestay industry cluster, and assist Taiyuan in becoming a national demonstration zone for the integrated development of cultural and tourism industries, an international mountain tourism destination, and a national-level tourism resort. 

At the opening ceremony, the West Mountain Homestay Industry Alliance was established, and on-site contracts for homestay projects in the West Mountain were signed. 

The conference also featured keynote speeches on "the impact of national policies and market development trend on the homestay industry," where experts shared their successful experience and provided insights on the homestay industry and rural vitalization.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Taiyuan Botanical Garden hosted a three-day camping and homestay equipment exhibition. The exhibition included five areas for homestay equipment, international and domestic camping, outdoor structure factories, outdoor sports experience, and bush craft camping space, with 15 brands participating. 

Early in 2017, Shanxi Provincial Government approved developing the West Mountain that lies west of Taiyuan as an ecological and cultural tourism demonstration zone, and planned 18 ecological parks in the 483-square-kilometer zone. 

Chen Junfeng, director of the zone's management committee, said the West Mountain will focus on developing industries of ecological and low-carbon development, cultural tourism, health and wellness, sports and leisure, and scientific research and development.