Minigolf + Jiangnan Cuisine: Creating a New Model of Integration
2025-04-08 20:27:14 China Minigolf Sport Promotion Committee (CMPC)
During the Qingming holiday, the China Minigolf Sport Promotion Committee (CMPC) and Suzhou SmartPutt Sports Technology Co., Ltd., actively implemented the spirit of the "Enjoy Exciting Events, Savor Chinese Cuisine" initiative by the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) and the Ministry of Commerce. By combining "Minigolf + Jiangnan Cuisine," they created a consumption feast in Zhouzhuang, Kunshan, blending Song Dynasty culture, modern sports, and regional cuisine. This initiative successfully explored a new model of integrating culture, sports, and tourism, characterized by "promoting cuisine through sports and revitalizing tourism through cuisine." Through innovative practices such as sports-driven visitation, consumption linkage, and cultural empowerment, it contributed to promoting local economic development.
I. Embedding Culinary Experiences in Sports Events: Creating a "Culinary Sports Carnival"
The CMPC collaborated with Zhouzhuang Town to set up a "Water Town Food Market" in the Minigolf area, pioneering the integration of "specialty cuisine into sports events" and creating a model where "sports serve as the scene, and cuisine becomes the experience." After visitors challenged the Minigolf "hole-in-one" activity, they could use experience vouchers to enjoy discounts at the market, forming a "sports-cuisine" consumption loop. Data shows that 80% of participants made purchases at the market, with per capita spending 40% higher than that of regular tourists. Additionally, the CMPC innovatively launched "sports supply packs," combining barbecued skewers, baked cakes, and other snacks, with packaging featuring Minigolf and Jiangnan cultural elements, making sports a vehicle for cultural dissemination.
II. "Sports + Cuisine": Consumption Linkage Activates Dual Industry Momentum
The CMPC partnered with the scenic area to promote the linkage between sports and dining consumption. A two-way incentive mechanism was introduced: "sports check-ins for dining rewards" and "dining consumption for Minigolf ticket draws." During the event, dining consumption increased by 35%, and Minigolf experience bookings surged by 200% compared to regular days.
III. Cross-Industry Collaboration: Unlocking the Fusion Code of "Cultural IP + Sports + Cuisine"
Centered on Song Dynasty cultural IP, the CMPC promoted deep cross-industry integration of sports and cuisine. Elements from the Along the River During the Qingming Festival painting, such as the Rainbow Bridge and taverns, were incorporated into the Minigolf area, immersing visitors in Song Dynasty cultural experiences while they played and dined.The event created over 200 temporary positions, 60% of which were filled by local villagers as food stall vendors and activity guides, with daily earnings exceeding 300 yuan per person. Some vendors reported that the influx of visitors from the sports activities enabled them to achieve sales in three days equivalent to a month during the off-season, even attracting distributors from other regions. The model of "sports-driven visitation → culinary monetization → industry income growth" implemented the policies of "stabilizing employment and benefiting livelihoods." The CMPC also trained local workers to enhance their skills, supporting the sustainable development of the regional economy
IV. From Policy Blueprint to Practical Model: Integrated Innovation
Against the backdrop of the national strategy to expand domestic demand and promote consumption, the vitality of sports and the allure of cuisine converged. Visitors swung their clubs in scenes reminiscent of Song Dynasty marketplaces and lingered at stalls offering intangible cultural heritage foods, with sports and dining merging into "scenes of happiness." This people-centered innovation activated cultural and tourism consumption, contributed to rural revitalization and high-quality industrial development, and provided a replicable "Jiangnan model" for the integration of "sports + cuisine."
When the richness of traditional culture resonates with the convenience of modern consumption, it not only unlocks the industrial value of "1+1>2" but also writes a contemporary answer to "benefiting the people through industry and revitalizing the city through enterprise."
