Family Hostels, built by local farmers near scenic spots and main roads to satisfy the urgent demand for lodging in busy tourist seasons, have flourished with the development of beautiful scenic areas in Changyang Tujia Autonomous County in Hubei Province,according to latest issue of Beijing Review.

The comparatively cheap family hostels, often located close to vast farmlands, have distinctive rural characteristics and aptly meet the demand of independent tourists.

Changyang now has 1,103 family hostels, capable of accommodating more than 40,000 tourists. Last year, these small hostels provided a total of 220,000 beds, which accounted for over 80 percent of the annual accommodation capacity for tourists in the county. In 2000, family hostels earned more than 50 million yuan.

In the small town of Gaojiayan in Changyang, there are more than 80 family hostels, which are able to accommodate over 40,000 tourists in just two months of the busy tourist season.

(Xinhua News Agency 10/24/2001)