The Malta Tourism Authority has signed an agreement with the Athletica-Vaticana Vatican Cycling group that will give the VisitMalta brand exclusive visibility on the team's kits. 

In a statement, the Tourism Ministry said Malta and the Holy See "share a bond which unites them on various levels". 

“VisitMalta’s presence on Athletica-Vaticana is another perfect example of how we are planning to diversify Malta’s tourism product in the years to come. Through this collaboration, we will be cementing Malta’s prospects in the fields of various tourism niches that primarily include faith tourism and sports tourism," Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said. 

Athletica Vaticana-Vatican Cycling is an official member of the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is made up of citizens of the Vatican City, employees of the Holy See and their immediate family members.

Athletica Vaticana-Vatican Cycling will be participating, and for the first time, in the Cycling World Championships in Australia later this month, the ministry said. 

"The team is extremely happy to have established this connection with Malta, particularly because it echoes the Apostolic Journey which the Holy Father made in Malta earlier this year, Giampaolo Mattei, President of Athletica-Vaticana said. 

On his part, MTA CEO Carlo Micallef said the authority believes the new relationship "will help to further give exclusive visibility to the VisitMalta brand in international sport events, which are in turn broadcast to millions of people around the world."

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