Palazzina di Stupinigi targets Chinese tourists via WeChat and QQ

The Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, a historic hunting lodge near Turin and part of the Savoy Residences, has launched official accounts on WeChat and QQ, China's leading messaging platforms with 760 million and 860 million monthly active users respectively. The initiative aims to attract 2,500 high-spending Chinese tourists by spring 2017 and to engage Chinese diaspora in Italy. A specialized editorial team based in Shanghai manages the Chinese-language website (stupinigi.cn) and social media. The palace's historical connection to China is underscored by two Chinese cabinets decorated with imported 18th-century wallpaper from southern China. The Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano, which manages the site, developed the digital outreach internally, noting that even Versailles has expressed interest in replicating their approach. The foundation laments that Stupinigi relies solely on its own strained resources, unlike other public museums. The campaign coincides with Stupinigi's participation in MPT-EXPO, a major Chinese museum industry fair held in Chengdu from September 14-19, 2016.