Travelers invited to rent private homes in latest trend

Staying in private homes while traveling is gaining popularity among Chinese, both for domestic trips and travel abroad, according to tourism industry insiders.

A report released on Thursday by the China Tourism Academy and Airbnb, an international house-sharing service, said 45 percent of people surveyed reported trying homestays when traveling abroad, while almost 60 percent of those who had not used such services said they wouldn't mind trying them on future trips.

More than 1,500 people in five Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi'an - participated in the online survey.