On July 12, the Zhejiang Homestay VR Technology Application Seminar was held in Hangzhou, where over 60 participants from government, academia, and industry experts gathered to discuss how homestays can seize the trends of Internet+ and leverage VR technology to address market pain points in the homestay industry.
The 360-degree panoramic visual effects created by VR (i.e., virtual reality technology) offer a brand-new visual experience. “VR can perfectly and vividly recreate the ‘scene’ and the ‘full picture,’ providing viewers with an entirely new, immersive first-person sensory experience. As VR technology and wearable VR devices continue to evolve, VR is becoming increasingly widespread and will enter ordinary households, becoming an indispensable ‘necessity’ in people’s daily lives,” said Dr. Zhang Hongxin from the State Key Laboratory of CAD&CG at Zhejiang University.
Jin Bingxiong, President of Zhejiang Vocational College of Tourism, said that unlike hotels or inns, homestays are a new form that combines local culture, natural landscapes, ecology, and environmental resources. Due to their strong individual characteristics and excellent experiential appeal, homestays have garnered significant attention from travelers. Currently, homestays across the province are developing rapidly, with diverse types and features.
According to data from the “2015 China Tourism Statistical Report” released by the National Tourism Administration, the proportion of independent travelers entering scenic spots reached 70% to 80% in 2015. Free independent travelers’ demands for travel have risen to cultural and social levels, and when it comes to accommodation, they prefer homestays with distinctive appearances and opportunities to interact with locals. Among the top ten Chinese cities most focused on homestays, the first five are in Zhejiang Province. Zhejiang’s homestays enjoy high attention, and the “homestay economy” has tremendous development potential.
Li Weigang, Director of the Industry Promotion Division of the Zhejiang Provincial Tourism Bureau, believes that as a new business model in tourism industry development, homestays commonly use traditional print media and internet platforms for marketing and promotion. However, actively exploring new internet technologies such as VR for promotional campaigns and influencing young travelers is a highly viable and quickly effective approach.
Xue Yabing, Director of the Scenic Tourism Bureau of Shangcheng District, Hangzhou; Yu Yingchun, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of Xiaoshan District; Wang Jianrong, Director of the Tourism and Commerce Bureau of the West Lake Scenic Area Management Committee in Hangzhou; Xiao Wei, Director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Office of Xiaoshan District; Zheng Wei, General Manager of Hangzhou AWT Information Technology Co., Ltd.; and Wu Guolong, Deputy Director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Office of Tonglu County Government (from left to right), attended the Zhejiang Homestay VR Technology Application Seminar and witnessed the launch of “YouSu.”
At the conference, China’s first homestay VR video self-media platform—“YouSu”—was officially launched. Guests wore VR headsets to watch “YouSu”’s first domestic homestay VR microfilm, “The Music Box That Heals Loneliness,” which showcased the “Houyuan Tribe” homestay in Zhengcheng Village, Tonglu County. This marked Zhejiang’s pioneering use of VR video technology in the homestay tourism sector. Additionally, during this seminar, “YouSu” also conducted its first VR live broadcast, allowing netizens to experience the feeling of virtually attending the event online.
“It really felt like time travel. The combination of VR technology and homestays, coupled with the use of internet channels, can effectively compensate for the marketing shortcomings of homestays,” said Zhang Linglong, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Travel Agencies Association.
“Travelers who have actually stayed in homestays often feel that photos or even regular videos cannot fully showcase the experience—you have to go there to know, and only by being there can you truly experience the essence of a homestay,” said Zheng Wei, CEO of YouSu. Having long focused on homestays, Zheng discovered through visits and analysis that insufficient showcasing of homestays’ features, facilities, and scenery has become a current market pain point. The emergence of VR technology has given homestays stronger vitality.
YouSu, China’s first homestay VR promotion platform and homestay video content creator, is dedicated to driving the development of homestays through professional content creation, enhancing user experience, seeking innovative marketing models for traditional homestays, and injecting new vitality.
“Through VR technology, consumers can freely choose their viewing angles, easily and comprehensively understanding the features and advantages of homestays, as well as their facilities. What you see is what you get. In this sense, VR and homestays are a perfect match. The experience created by VR is more vivid and heartfelt compared to traditional methods. All it takes is following a WeChat account to watch, making it convenient for consumers to choose. Currently, as China’s first homestay VR promotion platform and homestay video content creator, YouSu is committed to professional content creation to drive the future development of homestays, enabling every homestay owner to create their own VR video,” said Zheng Wei.
Currently, the YouSu VR homestay platform has been officially launched. Consumers can search for and follow “YouSu” on WeChat to experience VR videos and book homestay products. In the VR era, start your VR journey with YouSu !