KIGALI – Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have signed an agreement that will see the French football club promote the tiny East African country as a top tourism destination.
As part of the three-year deal, PSG will use its global image to sell Rwanda’s art and culture and commercial cash crops such as coffee and tea. Rwandan tea and coffee will exclusively be sold at Le Parc des Princes, the home stadium of PSG with a capacity of close to 48,000.
Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Clare Akamanzi said the new deal will see banners of ‘Visit Rwanda’ in PSG stadium, the women’s team as well as the training kits for men.
“Rwanda is also going to showcase Rwanda’s brands at a week-long event in Paris. It is considered a lifestyle partnership because it covers aspects beyond football and tourism,” she said.
The deal will also cater to football development in the country with avenues to nature and mentor emerging talents.
“The other is Fashion, we are going to be working with PSG to select players in the Rwandan Fashion industry to elevate them and showcase them to the world using PSG platforms,” Akamanzi is quoted as saying.
“The other is Art, players in the creative industry such as Inema arts should be getting ready. In addition to that, when we do our Paris week. We will be showcasing all the other industries,” she added.
PSG said on Twitter that it had signed a deal “inviting the world to participate in the remarkable transformation of Rwanda”.
A source close to the French club said the deal was worth between £6.87m and £8.59 million.
This is Rwanda’s second partnership deal with a football club following on a three year deal with Arsenal FC in May 2018. Rwanda earned $380 million from tourism in 2018, the central bank said last month, and was forecast to earn $405 million this year. It expects to earn $800 million by 2024, mainly from conferences and high-end tourists who trek with gorillas.