Local Experiences in Homestays Become New Reason for Travelers

This summer, tourism consumption shifted from standardized itineraries to experience-oriented travel. Meituan data shows searches for 'featured homestays' rose 41% year-on-year in July, with family travelers accounting for 49% and post-00s 29% of bookings. Meituan Homestay launched 'featured experience' tags in 136 cities, covering 8 categories like beach foraging and handicrafts. Hosts' local knowledge is becoming a differentiator, and platforms are evolving from transaction to experience aggregation.