Village vacations help island paradise flourish

Rising prosperity

As a major holiday resort, Sanya attracts a large number of tourists every year. "However, few travelers come to take a look at our village, even though we have enchanting rural scenery," Tan said.

"Some visitors just buy a few coconuts at the village entrance on their way to the seaside. We knew we should develop tourism, but we didn't know how to promote it or attract tourists to stay in our village."

He added that before 2016 most of the residents, including his own family, made a living by pig farming or growing crops, while many of the younger generation worked outside the village.

At the time, Tan was working for an electromechanical company based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. During a business trip to Zhejiang province, he found that many locals were benefiting from the homestay industry, which impressed him and opened his eyes to the burgeoning sector.

"I thought homestays could present an opportunity to revitalize our village, so I wanted to try," he said.

He said goodbye to his decade-long migrant life and returned to Bohou, using his savings to renovate his shabby house.

He opened a homestay called Hai Na Jie, meaning "Drop by whenever you are free" in the language of the Li ethnic group, which has a strong presence in the village and Hainan in general.

To Tan's delight, the homestay brought in a substantial income. Many villagers contacted him and indicated their willingness to join the business, while a few companies noticed the developments in the village and decided to invest in the homestay project.

Some villagers used their savings to renovate their houses and open their own homestays, while some impoverished residents rented their houses to investors under agreements overseen by the village committee.

People quickly decided that running homestays was preferable to cultivating crops that were reliant on the weather and climate.

"The earnings brought by the homestay industry are more stable. In addition to rental incomes, homestays also offer jobs for villagers, such as cleaning rooms," Tan said, adding that last year per capita income in the village reached 24,000 yuan, three times more than in 2016.

Pu Chaoshan's family was one of the households lifted out of poverty after joining the homestay industry. With the aid of the village committee, Pu obtained a bank loan of 400,000 yuan and opened a homestay in 2018.

He used last year's earnings to buy a car, which serves as a shuttle vehicle for tourists.

According to Tan, 10 more homestays are under construction in the village. He estimated the number will rise to 50 by the end of the year, adding that the residents are planning a night fair and a range of activities based on local customs.