HUNDREDS of homes in a rural part of the Pudong New Area are to be renovated to make them suitable for use by tourists, an official said yesterday.

Under the scheme, homeowners in Chuansha New Town will rent out their spare rooms to the local government, which will in turn let them to visitors, said Wang Kai, chairman of Shanghai Tourism and Culture Development Co, which is in charge of the scheme.

Twenty households in Chenqiao village have already signed up for the scheme, he said, adding that the total is expected to rise to 500 by the end of next year.