PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed their partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority in a deal reportedly worth  €150m.

This partnership links QTA and Paris Saint-Germain for the long term, providing an opportunity for Qatar to capitalize on the power and reach of sports to promote its numerous tourism assets.

Qatar attracts leading sports events to the country each year – such as the ATP and WTA tennis tournaments, the cycling Tour of Qatar and the MotoGP. In 2015, Qatar will also host the Handball World Championship, in 2016 it will play host to the Cycling World Championships and of course the FIFA Football World Cup in 2022.

QTA will use Paris Saint-Germain to reach the French and other European markets.

Rashed Al Qurese, director of marketing and promotions at QTA, said: “Tourism promotion is critical for Qatar to promote its economy, cultural heritage and offerings as a destination.

“QTA is delighted to have in Paris Saint-Germain as partner of choice with whom we can develop engaging and impactful promotional experiences for international fans and business partners, as well as the residents of Qatar and France. By partnering with Paris Saint-Germain, Qatar also associates itself with Paris, a destination of choice with which we share a sense of prestige, ambition and excellence. ”

The QTA association with Paris Saint-Germain will promote Qatar as a tourist destination to millions of the club’s fans – and also the women’s team, runners-up of the French Division 1 in 2011 and 2013. Additionally, QTA also linked itself to the Paris Saint-Germain Handball team, French champions last season – in the hopes of promoting the Handball World Championship, which will be held in Qatar in 2015.

Jean-Claude Blanc, deputy ceo of Paris Saint-Germain said: “Our association with QTA allows us to have the means necessary to develop the club in the direction that we envision. The club’s image clearly benefits from it and so do our results. We are able to give our supporters a high level of performance matching their expectations and our ambitions.”

From November onwards, several full size outdoor billboards, located in key spots around Paris, will highlight Paris Saint-Germain players in front of iconic Qatar landmarks – uniting the club and the country under the banner: Partners in Dreams.

###########