France's top tourist attractions launch Chinese social media accounts to boost visitor numbers
Louvre, the Palace of Versailles and the national monuments centre launch Chinese-language accounts on WeChat and Weibo
Some of France’s most famous attractions are trying to attract internet-savvy tourists from mainland China, with the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, and the national monuments centre all announcing the launch of Chinese-language accounts on WeChat and Weibo.
The Louvre – the Paris museum that houses the Mona Lisa – announced on Thursday that it had launched a WeChat account in Chinese.
Internet users can find the account by searching for either the Louvre’s Chinese name, or by its account name in English, “louvremuseum”.
The WeChat account provides a map of the museum, a visitors' guide, and information on its history and latest exhibitions in Chinese.
WeChat has more than 400 million users in mainland China.
“Please follow us on WeChat to find out more secrets about the Louvre,” the museum said in a post on its Weibo account, which it launched in May.
The museum’s Weibo account already has more than 1,700 followers and has posted 25 messages.
The Palace of Versailles, a national landmark on the western outskirts of Paris, launched a Chinese WeChat account on Tuesday. The account was aimed at having “better communications with Chinese tourists”, it said on its website.
WeChat users can follow the palace by scanning the QR code on the website or by searching for its account name “chateau-versailles”. The account provides a travel guide, historical information, a schedule of its shows and details of its exhibitions in Chinese.
Le Centre des Monuments Nationaux, run by France’s Ministry for Culture and Communication, launched a Chinese Weibo account in May. The centre manages nearly 100 national monuments including Mont Saint-Michel and the Arc de Triomphe.
France is the second most popular destination for China’s luxury travellers, according to a recent report by Hurun. Australia came top.
Europe was the dream destination for the next three years among so-called “super-travellers” – those who had spent at least US$30,000 on travel in the past year, the study said.
There was a 61 per cent increase in visas granted to Chinese visitors last year from 2013, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said applications had been boosted by the introduction last year of a fast-track, 48-hour visa for Chinese travellers.
In the first two months of the new visa being made available, the number of Chinese visitors increased by 65 per cent from the previous year.
Outbound travel by Chinese is expected to grow significantly. Brokerage firm CLSA recently estimated outbound trips by Chinese tourists would double to 200 million from 98 million in 2013.
