Karamay agri-tourism introduces five-star rating system
DATE:2013-10-29 SOURCE:China Daily
Updated: 2013-10-28
The city of Karamay in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region got a visit from officials from the Xinjiang Tourism Bureau on Oct 25. The officials randomly picked several hotels running agri-entertainment businesses and assessed them using the agri-tourism five-star rating guidelines.
The three hotels -- Yongsheng Golden Field Manor, No 593 Green Manor and Baozi Hotel -- were assessed as qualified agri-entertainment service providers, meaning they successfully combine modern agricultural sightseeing, leisure, catering and entertainment.
The delegation also offered recommendations to improve tourism infrastructure, diversify tourist products, and integrate tourism with modern technology and local culture.
The Karamay government has been constantly developing the agricultural eco-tourism industry in recent years. To date, the city has one five-star, two four-star and two three-star agri-tainment providers.
The agri-tourism five-star rating system is used to assess the service quality, facilities and other aspects of agri-entertainment hotels, with five-star being the highest standard.
Agri-entertainment, or agritainment, refers to consumer focused forms of agriculture in which farms supplement (or replace) their traditional income from the sale of crops to wholesale markets by offering a variety of "entertainment farming" options.
These agri-entertainment options include: farm and ranch tours, cowboy music and poetry gatherings, pick-your-own operations, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, farm stores, agricultural festivals and educational activities.
Edited by Michael Thai