Paris Saint-Germain and Visit Rwanda have recently announced the extension of their partnership until 2025, further solidifying their successful collaboration over the past three years. The primary objective of this renewed agreement is to position Rwanda as a prominent destination for tourism and investment within Africa, while also fostering cultural and creative synergies and promoting Rwandan coffee and tea.
Emphasizing the significance of the partnership between Visit Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain, Michaella Rugwizangoga, Chief Tourism Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), highlighted that its scope goes beyond conventional destination promotion. The aim is to establish meaningful connections encompassing culture, fashion, arts, and football development, all of which hold considerable importance for Rwanda. By leveraging the global platform provided by Paris Saint-Germain, Rwanda can effectively showcase its finest offerings to millions of fans worldwide, making the continuation of this partnership mutually gratifying.
Visit Rwanda actively collaborates with local partners specializing in conservation, tourism, and development to create tourism products that bring benefits to visitors, local communities, and the preservation of wildlife ecosystems.
In recent years, Rwanda has emerged as a sought-after global tourism destination, courtesy of its remarkable attractions such as the awe-inspiring mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and the presence of the Big 5 in Akagera National Park. Despite the adversities posed by the Covid-19 pandemic on international travel, Rwanda’s concerted efforts to position itself as an enticing destination have allowed it to regain and surpass the appeal it enjoyed in 2019.
The remarkable outcomes of these endeavors are evident in Rwanda’s successful welcome of over a million international visitors in 2022, resulting in nearly half a billion dollars in tourism revenue. With ambitious aspirations, the country aims to further elevate this figure to $800 million by 2025.
In commemoration of the partnership between Rwanda and the club, a special series of events known as the “Rwanda Heritage Game” took place during the Paris Saint-Germain-Olympique Lyonnais match on April 2. The occasion featured captivating performances by Rwandan artists Christopher Muneza and Weya Viatora at the SO/Bar, graced by the esteemed presence of former PSG legend Luis Fernandez.
Expressing her satisfaction with the collaboration, Cynthia Marcou, Sponsorship Director at Paris Saint-Germain, affirmed that it has set new benchmarks and synergies in the realm of sponsorship. Through this partnership, highly innovative activations involving players and ambassadors have been developed, effectively contributing to the image of Rwanda as a forward-thinking nation and significantly enhancing the global profile of Rwandan tourism.
Since its inception in 2019, the partnership between Paris Saint-Germain and Visit Rwanda has witnessed the implementation of numerous remarkable initiatives across various domains. PSG team players such as Sergio Ramos, Keylor Navas, Julian Draxler, and Thilo Kehrer, along with legendary former players like Youri Djorkaeff, Rai, Ludovic Giuly, and Juan Pablo Sorin, have personally experienced the captivating beauty of Rwanda through unforgettable visits to the “Land of a Thousand Hills.”
The presence of Visit Rwanda is strongly felt on match days at the Pare des Princes, with its logo prominently displayed on the men’s team’s training and warm-up kits. Furthermore, PSG fans have had the exclusive opportunity to savor the finest tea and coffee that Rwanda has to offer, as these beverages are served exclusively at the stadium.
In 2020, the PSG Academy Rwanda was established in Huye, providing over 100 children with the opportunity to partake in PSG training sessions. Notably, some of these children are beneficiaries of the club’s Foundation. In a remarkable achievement, the academy secured victory in the boys’ U-13 category at the PSG Academy World
