Yangshuo hosts intl talent development forum

Experts and practitioners from the homestay industry attend the forum in Yangshuo county, Guilin city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A large number of government officials, experts and practitioners from the homestay industry gathered together in Yangshuo county, Guilin city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Oct 11 for the 2018 International Development Forum for High-end Homestay Talent, which this year coincided with the foundation ceremony for Yangshuo Homestay College.

According to Liu Hongfa, a researcher at the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Yangshuo has played a significant role in the development of China's county-region tourism, providing a blueprint for the development of the tourism industry in China and further afield. 

Lin Xinhe, vice director of the Tourism Development Board of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, also addressed the forum, saying that in order to realize the distinctive branding development of Guangxi's homestay industry, the government should devote itself to training qualified personnel to cater to the growing demand.

Despite a construction standard to match other international tourist destinations, Guilin is desperately short of a matching amount of talents. The government should introduce favorable policies to attract more qualified people to the area, explains Cai Wei, director of Guangxi Tourism Talent Training Center. Guangxi has already set up two training bases for tourism professionals, creating outstanding new talents in China-ASEAN tourism.

Li Huoyou, a representative participating in the forum, pointed out that Yangshuo is still in the initial stages of its tourism development, meaning that there exists great opportunities for the county to develop.

In recent years, Yangshuo has taken full advantages of the construction of the Guilin International Tourist Destination Pilot Zone and the National All-for-one Tourism Demonstration Area, making the county a fertile field for the introduction of high-class homestays. The forum is expected to give a big push to the healthy and orderly development of the homestay industry, which will greatly benefit Yangshuo.

Yangshuo has the world's first tourism observation point, which was set up by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The top 10 homestay industry contributors receive award certificates. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]