France has quite a drum corps "scene" too, a lot of marching band are doing the socalled "corps style" (actually hate that therm, cause it makes no sense...every MB is "corps style" in US). Italy has also a few marching bands (Millenium band has excact same uniform as cavies), but I really don't know what they are doing there. It might be just to promote drum corps in countries where it isn't that popular.
Now, I don't know why they aren't going to Holland, Germany or GB but like you said, it might be sponsoring (actually, Kerkrade is Holland).
Anyway, Europe is a small continent so it ain't that far to Kortrijk or Kerkrade...