Rwanda announces partnership with French club PSG in battle for tourists

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Rwanda has added another European club to promote its tourism and products like coffee by announcing a partnership with French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The club announced today that Visit Rwanda will also be displayed at the Parc des Princes Stadium where fans of Paris Saint-Germain will be exposed to the country. The club says Rwanda tea and coffee will be served to the fans in the stadium.

Also, the club said “the Partnership will also convey Rwanda’s openness to welcome business partnerships from France and across the world.”

In a statement today, the club said: “Visit Rwanda branding will benefit from premium exposure on the back of the training kit and pre-game warm-up kits of the men’s team and also on the sleeve of the kit worn by the women’s team during their matches.”

In a race to win the tourism crown, Rwanda seems to take wider steps compared to neighbor Uganda.

Last year, the Rwandan Development Board signed a USD 39 million deal with London Premier League Club, Arsenal, to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination over a three-year period.  President Paul Kagame is known to be a committed Arsenal fan.

Despite being the 19th poorest countries in the world, the Rwandan government said that the deal was part of a broader strategy to develop tourism, which in 2017 accounted for about 12.7 per cent of GDP and USD 400 million of revenue. The country’s per capita income stands at around USD 700 million.

Rwanda says it received up to 1.7 million visitors last year – almost the same number as Uganda. Kigali also announced USD 2 billion had been invested in the country.

Rwanda prides itself in the lush green landscapes, the mountain gorillas of the Virunga volcanos, the Akagera wildlife park, the tropical Nyungwe forest, idyllic Lake Kivu, and even genocide memorials.

Both Uganda and Rwanda host the famous Gorilla and their tracking is a premium tourism activity. The country that wins the marketing battle will win the ultimate prize of more visitors.

It is not yet clear how much Rwanda paid for the partnership with PSG.

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