Beijing expatriates started cashing in on the upcoming Olympics, by renting out their homes, according to China Daily:
While Beijing tourism authorities last month stepped up a campaign to recruit some 1,000 Chinese households as “Olympic family hotels”, hundreds of foreigners have already reached private agreements to become homestay hosts, either through specialized agencies or direct negotiations with tenants.
Enterprising Dutchman Piet Bos established the online agency, Homestay Beijing 2008 (www.homestaybeijing2008.com) last March, recognizing the potential windfall to be made accommodating the 2 million tourists – including 500,000 overseas guests – expected to make their way to the Chinese capital for the Olympics. The largest daily inflow of visitors for the Summer Games is estimated at 300,000.
