The Ligue 1 team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Visit Rwanda have extended their sponsorship ties until 2025.
Post the first three years of successful cooperation, this new agreement will allow Visit Rwanda to continue to work with the club with the aim of presenting the country as a leading tourism and investment destination on the African continent, developing cultural synergy and creating and promoting Rwanda coffee and tea.
In just a few years, Rwanda has become a global tourist hotspot. Even though the pandemic has hit tourism hard, the country’s attempt to nurture itself as a top tourist destination has somehow allowed it to regain the appeal it enjoyed in 2019. In 2022, it also welcomed more than a million foreign visitors and brought in nearly half a billion dollars in tourism revenue, a figure that it expects to reach 800 million dollars by 2025.
The main element of the partnership between Rwanda and the club was symbolized by a special event during PSG vs Olympique Lyonnais match on April 2. In addition to this, the ‘Rwanda Heritage Game’ brought Rwandan artists Christopher Muneza and Weya Viatora to SO/Bar for a special pre-match show which also featured the former PSG legend, Luis Fernandez.
Michaella Rugwizangoga, RDB’s Chief Tourism Officer, said, “There is more to the partnership between Visit Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain than just promoting Rwanda as a destination. It aims to create synergies in culture, fashion, the arts, and football development, which is very important to us. Paris Saint-Germain provides us with an amazing platform to present the very best of Rwanda to millions of fans around the world. We are delighted to be able continue our partnership and to do even more things together.”
Cynthia Marcou, Sponsorship Director, Paris Saint-Germain, said, “In working with Visit Rwanda, Paris Saint-Germain has taken sponsorship to the next level in terms of standards and synergy. Together we have developed extremely creative activations in which our players and ambassadors regularly take part. Such events enhance the image of Rwanda, a forward-looking country, and raise the profile of Rwandan tourism, allowing it to position itself as a global leader.”
The robust bond between PSG and Visit Rwanda has been achieved through a few excellent initiatives across a range of sectors.
Since the partnership began, Visit Rwanda has been a significant presence on match days at the Parc des Princes. As part of the partnership, the logo of the brand appears on the men’s training and pre-match jerseys. In this association, fans of Rouge et Bleu will also enjoy some of Rwanda’s best teas and coffees, which will be served at the stadium.
Furthermore, PSG Academy Rwanda opened in Huye City in 2020, providing 100% PSG training sessions to over 100 children, such as some of the association’s foundation beneficiaries. In 2022, the academy won the PSG Academy World Cup Men’s Under-13s, making Rwanda’s first appearance at the annual competition.