More Chinese opting for sharing-economy lodging

The platform's overseas business has expanded to offer over 400,000 places to stay in more than 1,000 destinations. The company projects thirty-fold growth in its overseas business this year.

Over half of the 10 million Chinese guest arrivals recorded by United States-based home-sharing service provider Airbnb since 2008 took place last year.

The company also doubled its accommodations in China in 2017, when about 3.3 million inbound travelers used the service. Shanghai, Beijing and Sichuan province's capital, Chengdu, are the most popular destinations.

The trend is partly fueled by the large number of unoccupied dwellings.

China is estimated to have had 70 million unoccupied residences by 2016.

Platforms such as Tujia, Airbnb and Xiaozhu enable people to use these resources.

Sweetome, previously Tujia's offline business, is diversifying its apartment offerings.

It offers properties in cities as well as bungalows and farmsteads.

The platform also offers pickups, guides and cleaning services for guests and homeowners.