Baodi: Building a new paradigm of cultural tourism and homestays with local IPs

A core proposition stands before all cultural tourism practitioners: how can a piece of land full of vitality break free from the old logic of “scenery replication” and transform into a commercial civilization that can grow, spread, and sediment? When rocket launches become routine, the value of a homestay is more than just “one room”

Under the dual opportunities of the deepening advancement of the national space strategy and the continuous upgrade of cultural tourism consumption, Wenchang in Hainan is standing at a unique crossroads of development: on one side is the space launch that embodies the nation’s aspiration, and on the other is the millennia-old Nanyang cultural heritage and coastal fireworks; one side is the highly anticipated era’s opportunity, and the other is the quiet, abundant local daily life.

Such land is destined not only to produce ordinary homestays but also to nurture new cultural tourism species capable of redefining both life and commerce.

Bao Di is the natural answer that grows from this land.

Most tourists only regard Wenchang as a rocket launch check-in spot, treating homestays as brief stops. In the Bao Di team’s view, if homestays only serve to host guests, they will inevitably fall into homogenized price wars. Bao Di’s original intention has never been merely “hosting guests once,” but to build a foundational logic that addresses industry pain points.

“Bao Di Model”: from “single-store profit” to “scalable ecosystem”

From the founders’ perspective, Bao Di possesses not only sentiment but also a set of replicable and implementable models.

If you only operate a profitable store, that’s just business. But to create a brand that can be replicated nationwide—that’s a model.

Bao Di’s core competitiveness lies in establishing a complete commercial logic that extends from a single store to an ecosystem, transforming homestays from isolated accommodation products into the core carriers of regional cultural tourism. This model is broken down into five dimensions, forming sustainable growth-driven business DNA:

Light-asset platformization, strengthening the framework for brand expansion. Bao Di does not rely on heavy-asset land acquisition for expansion but instead outputs systems of branding, standards, operations, and traffic to ensure each Bao Di maintains a unified visual aesthetic, service process, content creation capability, channel operation method, and team management standard. This not only ensures quality and warmth but also lays a foundation for large-scale brand development.

Local experience closed-loop, activating the “flesh and blood” of cultural tourism consumption. Bao Di steps beyond single-format businesses like accommodation and cafes, deeply transforming Wenchang’s culture and lifestyle into participatory products: from fishing with fishermen and experiencing traditional labor, to strolling through Pucheng’s old streets and arcade, touching the century-old vicissitudes of the overseas Chinese community, and tasting intangible cultural heritage like fermented vinegar; from exploring coconut groves in the East Suburb to experience coconut picking and processing, to participating in Confucian temple prayers, intangible heritage rubbings, and coconut carving workshops—building a complete experience chain centered on “Stay—Eat—Travel—Tour—Shop—Entertainment,” allowing every visitor to deeply immerse themselves in Wenchang life.

Content storytelling power, shaping the brand’s soul. In an era of high traffic costs, blunt advertising has long failed; only genuine, nuanced, and warm content can truly resonate. Leveraging the team’s inherent media gene, Bao Di has created a self-media account focused on local Hainan culture—“Bao Di 1992”—using visuals to record coconut groves, coastal sunsets, rocket launches, and human stories, turning every service and encounter into shareable, resonant content. Currently, “Bao Di 1992” has accumulated tens of millions of views, continuously attracting visitors to Wenchang. This content isn’t marketing gimmicks but the natural flow of life, fostering deep emotional resonance with the brand.

Community and retention, solidifying the brand’s development foundation. Bao Di always treats guests as long-term friends rather than one-time visitors: from detailed pre-stay communication, to caring companionship during the stay, to long-term connection after departure, Bao Di converts traffic into “retained users” and customers into true brand friends. Genuine reviews show that whether for family trips, solo travel, or parent-child outings, Bao Di receives full praise: some guests say they “hit the jackpot” after the host upgraded their room; family travelers praise it as “a treasure homestay perfect for kids”; self-driving tourists recognize that “cleanliness exceeded expectations—the floors are spotless.” These authentic feedbacks are the best proof of Bao Di’s community reputation.

Data-driven precise operations, building a solid brand foundation. In the emotionally warm cultural tourism industry, Bao Di remains rational and precise: paying attention to every review, analyzing guest needs, and using data to optimize service details. Based on user feedback, Bao Di continuously iterates services: preparing binoculars in advance for guests wanting to watch rockets; creating private pools and children’s leisure areas for families; providing convenient parking for self-driving tourists; offering pick-up services for those with mobility issues—enhancing experience through details and ensuring quality with professionalism.

Starting from Wenchang, Bao Di embarks on an all-domain cultural tourism journey

The core of the Bao Di model can be summarized as: using regionally unique IP as a traffic anchor, multi-format business as the commercial backbone, light-asset joint ventures as the expansion path, and fine operations combined with content storytelling as growth engines—ultimately building a scalable, warm, and valuable all-encompassing lifestyle brand.

The wind of Wenchang blows toward the future.

Rooted locally, empowered by content, and guided by the model—future Bao Di will not be content with merely taking root in Wenchang but will also replicate this model to lands with unique charm, making “Bao Di” a new benchmark for regional cultural tourism and lifestyle, helping more tourism practitioners and travelers understand: travel is not just about rushing from place to place, homestays are not just places to rest— the ultimate value of cultural tourism is an awakening about life.