The first players of Olympique de Marseille (OM) landed at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan on July 15, greeted with traditional dances and music. The arrival marked the official start of the 「OM Summer Tour 2026」, a three-day initiative under the renewed partnership between the French club and Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism promotion agency.
Annual partnership worth 5 million euros
The collaboration, extended in April for three years, guarantees OM an annual payment of 5 million euros. In return, the club commits to showcasing Côte d’Ivoire’s attractions to its European audience and co-organizing promotional campaigns. Government officials, including the ministers of Tourism, Culture, and Sports, are overseeing the initiative to enhance the country’s international appeal.
The strategy leverages OM’s popularity in French-speaking regions and the Ivorian public’s love for European football to attract more visitors to the country’s beaches, national parks, and cultural heritage sites.
Public training session and gala match on the agenda
On July 16, supporters will have the chance to witness an open training session at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan-Plateau, offering a rare glimpse of the team’s preparation.
The highlight of the tour will be a free friendly match on July 17 at 6:30 PM against Yamoussoukro FC, a top-tier Ivorian club, also held at the same stadium. The event is designed to foster closer ties between the two nations through football.
Additional activities include an institutional meeting between the Ivorian government and the OM delegation, as well as a social visit to underprivileged children.
Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism ambitions
Côte d’Ivoire has long viewed tourism as a key driver for economic diversification. With a GDP of 85 billion dollars in 2025, according to World Bank estimates, the country is actively promoting itself as a premier destination under the 「Sublime Côte d’Ivoire」 brand, launched in 2019.
Abidjan, home to 5.6 million people, serves as the country’s economic hub and the center of its tourism infrastructure. The Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue in the Plateau district, recently hosted matches during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which Côte d’Ivoire won.
This partnership with OM aligns with a broader strategy of collaborations with European sports clubs and federations to boost the country’s global visibility. France remains the leading source of tourists visiting Côte d’Ivoire, ahead of other West African countries.
Football as a soft power tool
By harnessing OM’s global following and the Ivorian passion for football, authorities aim to reverse the underdeveloped state of the tourism sector, despite the country’s stunning Atlantic coastline, national parks, and rich cultural heritage.
The deal also provides OM with a significant revenue stream, complementing its commercial partnerships following a 2025-2026 season where the club finished fifth in Ligue 1. The agreement is one of the club’s largest sponsorship deals, comparable to those with its traditional kit suppliers and commercial partners.
The tour concludes on July 18 with the departure of the Marseille delegation. The tourism ministry will assess media coverage and its impact on bookings in the coming weeks, with plans to repeat the initiative in the 2026-2027 season.