“Small courtyard economy”, a new path for the operation and expansion of the emerging tourism industry
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2025-02-03
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In 2023, "courtyard economy" was included in the No. 1 central document for the first time. The "Guiding Opinions on Encouraging and Guiding the High-Quality Development of Courtyard Economy in Poverty-Stricken Areas" clearly states that by 2025, the scale of the courtyard economy industry in poverty-stricken areas will continue to expand, the types of industries will become increasingly diverse, the connection between production and sales will be smoother, development vitality will continue to strengthen, the level of development will be significantly improved, and the income generated by the courtyard economy will also steadily increase. Following farms and campsites, the emerging business model of "internet celebrity courtyards" has rapidly gained popularity, and the "small courtyard economy" model is booming. As an important branch of the courtyard economy, it relies on courtyard space to build a business operation model that integrates leisure dining and cultural experiences. Its area is usually between a few mu and more than ten mu, relying on mini-environments, national-style scenes such as fire-roasted tea, and popular check-in scenes such as luxury camping tents, garden sheds, outdoor awnings, and internet celebrity coffee houses, creating a comfortable, private, and unique atmosphere that precisely meets the modern consumer's pursuit of "slow life" and spiritual rest.
What is the "Small Courtyard Economy"?
It not only occupies an important position in the agricultural economy, but also, due to its rich production and operation projects, diverse models, low investment and quick returns, high commodity rate, and flexible operation, it has become a key base for rural commodity production and an effective way for farmers to increase income and become wealthy.
Image: Wenjiang Suburban Internet Celebrity Courtyard | Source: Public Network
In a broad sense, the "small courtyard economy" also includes leisure dining and cultural experience business operation models that use courtyards as spatial carriers. Although the core area of this type of model is limited, it uses mini streams, characteristic copywriting, fire-roasted tea and other national-style elements, as well as luxury camping tents, garden sheds, outdoor awnings, and internet celebrity coffee houses, which are very attractive photo-taking and check-in scenes, successfully winning the favor and pursuit of a large number of consumers, especially young people.
How did the "Small Courtyard Economy" spark a new wave?
(1) Scenarization and Experientialization
Whether it is catering services, commercial photography, or various event hosting, the secret to the success of small courtyards lies in carefully crafting unique scene experiences. Through clever design and interesting activity arrangements, small courtyards can bring consumers emotional resonance and visual feasts that go beyond traditional accommodation, effectively meeting their increasingly diversified needs. Compared with traditional hotels and large scenic areas, small courtyards are more personalized and independent. Each courtyard has its own unique style and design ingenuity, deeply integrating local cultural elements, allowing tourists to enjoy exclusive vacation time in a private and elegant space. This personalized and customized experience perfectly meets the needs of modern tourists for unique private space.
Image: One-Foot Garden | Source: Public Network
(2) Emotionalization and Socialization
Small courtyards are not simply leisure places, but also warm harbors that carry emotional exchanges. By hosting various social activities, small courtyards continuously deepen their emotional ties with consumers, allowing tourists to gain a sense of "belonging" and "identity" during their short stay. In the fast-paced and high-pressure modern life, people are in a state of anxiety and tension for a long time. Small courtyards, as an earthly paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the city and close to nature, provide people with the opportunity to get close to nature. Here, tourists can enjoy peace and tranquility, escape the troubles of the city, relax their bodies and minds, and regain inner peace.
Image: Shenyang Kenting Courtyard | Source: Public Network
(3) Diversified Income Sources
One of the outstanding characteristics of the small courtyard economy is the diversification of income sources. From catering operations to commercial photography, from event hosting to research and study projects, a wide variety of income channels make the small courtyard business model more sustainable and resilient to risks, with each element potentially becoming a unique profit growth point.
(4) High Participation and Low Cost
From Tao Yuanming's "returning to the fields to live a simple life" to Meng Haoran's "drinking wine and talking about mulberry and hemp," small courtyards carry the practical value and strong nostalgia of rural production and life. Against the backdrop of the comprehensive advancement of the rural revitalization strategy, the expansion and extension of the courtyard economy has allowed small spaces to unleash greater economic benefits. Compared with large-scale tourism projects, small courtyards occupy a small area and have low investment, but they can attract a large number of tourists and generate considerable income through in-depth user experience and low-cost operation strategies. This high-participation, low-cost operation model fits the "small happiness" concept. Tourists do not need luxurious enjoyment; they only need to be in a warm and comfortable small courtyard to obtain a moment of ease and happiness.
Main Models of the Small Courtyard Economy
(1) "Small Courtyard + Specialty Dining"
In this model, the small courtyard is carefully transformed into a themed dining destination, where consumers can immerse themselves in the beautiful environment and enjoy a culinary feast. Many small courtyards enhance their attractiveness through dining characteristics, creating unique business models. Catering serves as the main business, with afternoon tea, BBQ, grilled meat sets, and fire-roasted tea being very popular, effectively strengthening the integration of catering and environment. Food and beverage revenue typically accounts for as much as 80%, with business hours concentrated from afternoon to evening, precisely targeting specific customer groups. Through scenario-based and emotional experience marketing, combined with exquisite surroundings and delicious dishes, attracting consumers to check in and experience, offering diversified packages at different times to fully meet the needs of different groups of people.
Image: Guizhou Houshan Roast Meat Restaurant | Source: Publicly available online
(II) "Courtyard + Cultural and Creative Activities"
With rich and diverse event planning, courtyards can significantly improve customer stickiness and repurchase rate. Unlike traditional leisure and vacation models, activity-based courtyards strengthen the emotional connection between customers and brands through themed activities and emotional experiences. By organizing activities such as flower arranging, tea ceremony, baking, and meditation, as well as co-hosting cheongsam shows, car club meetings, and book clubs with other brands, effectively increasing customer traffic and repurchase rate.
Diversified activities not only enhance visitor participation but also enhance emotional value, deepening emotional ties with visitors. For example, activities such as forest schools, spiritual healing, and intangible cultural heritage handicraft experiences enrich the cultural connotation of the courtyard and further improve the repurchase rate.
(III) "Courtyard + Art Commercial Photography"
This model attracts tourists to take photos and charge fees with its exquisite courtyard design. The courtyard's aesthetic design and unique spatial layout are its core competitiveness, especially appealing to consumers who pursue visual enjoyment. For example, transforming the courtyard into a commercial photography scene, setting up many carefully designed check-in points, allowing for photos of various styles. Many courtyards also offer costume change services, which are very popular with female customers.
Image: Man and Man Aesthetics Manor Art Commercial Photography | Source: Publicly available online
(IV) "Courtyard + Education and Research"
"Courtyard + Research" deeply integrates education and tourism experiences, giving the courtyard a profound cultural heritage and educational value. Tourists can participate in activities such as nature education, food and agriculture education, and handicraft making.
For example, providing ecological planting experience projects, tourists can learn about herb planting, food and agriculture education, and natural collection knowledge and skills, experiencing the innovative "farm + education" model. This organic combination of farms and food culture provides tourists with high-quality educational experiences while allowing them to deeply participate in the production process, enhancing their sense of identification and participation in the courtyard. For example, rural homestay projects in Yunnan and Zhejiang, relying on local natural landscapes and cultural characteristics, create courtyard homestays that meet the needs of "pleasing oneself," becoming an ideal choice for urbanites for short-distance leisure and micro-vacations with unique designs and warm atmosphere.
Courtyard Case Sharing
(I) Xinzhou Courtyard
In recent years, the Xinzhou Women's Federation has adhered to the principle of "demonstration first, connecting points, and leading the way," vigorously developing courtyard economy, taking farmers as the basic unit, and courtyards as the business premises, developing various business formats, increasing women's income, and driving an increase of more than 4,000 yuan per household, paving a Xinzhou path for the development of courtyard economy.
Image: A corner of a rural courtyard in Wangduanzhuang Village, Jingle County | Source: Kelan County Women's Federation
Developing characteristic planting in courtyards. Mobilizing women to rationally plan the living area and planting area in courtyards, focusing on the development of characteristic vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and planting Chinese medicinal materials and edible fungi according to local conditions to improve efficiency. Developing characteristic animal husbandry in courtyards. Organizing rural families to rationally plan the living area and animal husbandry area in courtyards, achieving separation of humans and animals, cleanliness, and promoting the integration of courtyard animal husbandry into the modern animal husbandry production system. Developing characteristic processing in courtyards. Organizing rural women to excavate local characteristics, using courtyards for food and traditional handicraft processing, focusing on the development of traditional handicrafts such as embroidery, paper-cutting, dough sculpture, and fabric arts, realizing income generation at the "doorstep." Developing characteristic cultural tourism in courtyards. Encouraging women to actively participate in cultural tourism development, using courtyards to develop characteristic homestays, farmhouses, picking gardens, and other agricultural and cultural tourism integration industries, exploring models such as "private customization," and developing "leisure courtyard" family services. Developing characteristic services in courtyards. Guiding "women's" bases and cooperatives to lead surrounding women to use courtyards to open online stores, e-commerce sales points, live streaming sales points, and express delivery agency points, providing convenient services for villagers.
(II) Jutang Courtyard
Hidden in Dashuitang Community, Guanlan Street, Longhua District, Shenzhen, lies the Jutang Courtyard, a place that resembles a dreamland. This courtyard was originally a rural courtyard that had been abandoned for 10 years. However, after carefully investing hundreds of thousands of yuan in renovations, it has been completely transformed. Stepping inside, the overall style exudes a captivating healing atmosphere, with a sense of comfort and beauty that is overwhelming, as if it were taken from a Miyazaki Hayao cartoon and brought to life, a fairytale courtyard full of fairy-tale charm.
Jutang Courtyard covers an area of 2 mu. Within the limited space, through ingenious design, it has created many eye-catching internet celebrity scenes, making the most of space utilization. Its core projects include creek exploration, photography services, exquisite camping, and afternoon tea time, each with its unique characteristics. In the courtyard, wild luxury triangle tents are scattered, providing campers with a unique accommodation experience; mini creek flower boats float leisurely on the babbling stream, adding a touch of agility and romance; the light luxury camping area is fully equipped, showing quality and style; where the stove is used to boil tea, the fragrant tea creates a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
In terms of business undertaking, Jutang Courtyard covers a wide range of activities. Whether it is a memorable birthday party, a romantic proposal ceremony, a professional commercial photography event, an exquisite afternoon tea time, a lively BBQ gathering, or a wild camping activity, it can all be perfectly realized here, meeting the diverse needs of different groups of people, and becoming a unique and charming leisure destination in the area.
Image: Jutang Courtyard | Source: Publicly available online
Where is the future of the courtyard economy heading?
(I) Enhancing Spatial Aesthetic Value, Empowering Economic Benefits
By enhancing spatial aesthetic value, it can empower the economic benefits of courtyard economy projects. The exquisite fusion of natural elements and artificial design creates a beautiful and comfortable environment, enhancing its appeal to tourists and consumers.
The introduction of aesthetically valuable scenes in the style of Chinese classical gardens, such as mountain and water courtyards, and wild luxury leisure spaces, enhances the cultural and aesthetic value of the courtyard while achieving a leap in commercial value.
(II) Explore local cultural traditions, Develop cultural IP marketing plans
By enhancing spatial aesthetic value, it can empower the economic benefits of courtyard economy projects. The exquisite fusion of natural elements and artificial design creates a beautiful and comfortable environment, enhancing its appeal to tourists and consumers.
The introduction of aesthetically valuable scenes in the style of Chinese classical gardens, such as mountain and water courtyards, and wild luxury leisure spaces, enhances the cultural and aesthetic value of the courtyard while achieving a leap in commercial value.
Image: Bati Bati Courtyard | Source: Public Network
(III) Diversified spatial content planning, Achieve multi-industry integrated development
Through rational spatial planning and the promotion of comprehensive and diversified activities, the courtyard economy can achieve integrated development in planting and picking, leisure, parent-child activities, study tours, handicrafts, and other industries. Based on the characteristics of different courtyards and market demands, a systematic approach is used to tailor-make activities and projects, covering characteristic homestays, family hotels, leisure farms, farmhouses, and small picking gardens, to meet diverse consumer needs and stimulate the vitality of the courtyard economy.
After Note
With people's yearning for a better life growing day by day, poetic dwelling is receiving more and more attention. The rise of the courtyard economy is the result of multiple factors. Exquisite spatial design, unique local cultural experiences, personalized services, and low-cost, high-quality experiences, the courtyard economy not only satisfies tourists' desire for comfort, tranquility, and unique experiences, but also finds a niche in the fiercely competitive tourism market. Creative business models and attractive courtyard environments inject continuous vitality into the courtyard economy, thereby enhancing the economic value of the project. By deeply exploring and innovatively packaging rural culture, the cultural radiation of the courtyard economy can be expanded. This not only helps to protect and inherit rural culture, but also attracts more tourists and consumers through cultural marketing, improving the popularity and market influence of the courtyard economy. In the future, how to create a courtyard cluster effect and continuously innovate in details and experiences will be an important factor in continuously attracting tourists to courtyard tourism projects.
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