A guesthouse in Shanghai. (Photo/Shanghai Daily)
A forum on the development of guesthouses in Shanghai's suburb was held in the city yesterday, gathering government officials and professors to brainstorm the prospect and challenges confronting the development of guesthouses.
Most of the existing guesthouses in Shanghai are operating in a grey area because they are unlicensed and therefore do not meet fire and food safety standards.
"Guesthouse is a new emerging accommodation style in Shanghai, but a vague definition of guesthouses and how to manage them are major difficulties because they could not meet the same hygiene and fire control standard as hotels," said Zheng Shiqing, a researcher with the Tourism Research Center of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
Wang Keqi, director of the Jinshan District Tourism Administration, said a third-party safety assessment on residence houses is urgently needed before they are renovated into guesthouses.
"Many of these houses to be turned into guesthouses in the city's rural areas were built by villagers privately, and they are hollow inside," he said. "They are not solid and it is very dangerous when a fire occurs."
