Rwanda's Mega Tourism Boost: Visit Rwanda Seals Landmark Deal with Aston Villa

Visit Rwanda and English Premier League club Aston Villa officially unveiled a landmark global partnership on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. This significant agreement designates the Visit Rwanda brand to be featured prominently on the front of Aston Villa's shirts. Aston Villa becomes the second Premier League club to partner with Visit Rwanda, following an eight-year partnership with Arsenal, which concluded on June 30, where the Rwanda tourism brand was displayed on the sleeve of both men's and women's team shirts.

Under this comprehensive agreement, Visit Rwanda, managed by the Rwanda Convention Bureau, assumes multiple key roles for Aston Villa Football Club. These include becoming the Club's Official Front-of-Shirt Partner, its exclusive Official Tourism Partner, and its Official Coffee Provider. This collaboration symbolically unites Rwanda, renowned as the 'Land of a Thousand Hills', with Birmingham, historically known as the 'City of a Thousand Trades', reflecting a shared ethos of enterprise, innovation, and ambition between the two entities.

The partnership leverages football's immense global platform to showcase Rwanda as a premier destination for tourism, trade, investment, and sport. Visit Rwanda will gain year-round global visibility, appearing on the playing shirts of Aston Villa's men's, women's, and youth teams across all competitions, including the FA Premier League and various European tournaments. Additionally, the agreement encompasses extensive matchday visibility at Villa Park, international marketing campaigns, digital storytelling initiatives, and unique fan experiences designed to highlight Rwanda's diverse tourism offerings, its thriving capital city, world-class hospitality, and its growing reputation for business, investment, major events, and sporting ambitions to millions of fans worldwide.

Beyond global brand exposure, the partnership is deeply committed to impactful initiatives within Rwanda. These include focused efforts on football development, coach education programs, academy exchanges, various charitable initiatives, and leadership development programs. Furthermore, the collaboration will offer scholarships and professional development opportunities for talented Rwandans, aligning with Rwanda's long-term commitment to harnessing sport as a powerful catalyst for economic growth, skills development, and significant social impact.

Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), articulated the partnership's strategic importance, stating it is a powerful expression of Rwanda's ambition to engage global audiences and position the country as a leading destination for tourism, investment, and business. Francesco Calvo, President of Business Operations at Aston Villa, echoed this sentiment, describing the partnership as an exciting venture and a clear indicator of the club's ongoing expansion into international markets, highlighting the broad scope for collaboration, learning, and innovation.

This new alliance further solidifies Visit Rwanda's stature as a prominent global destination brand in international sport, building upon its existing high-profile partnerships with clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético de Madrid, and leagues/teams like the Basketball Africa League, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Rams. The partnership coincides with Rwanda's remarkable economic growth trajectory, having achieved an average annual GDP growth of approximately 8% over the past two decades, with the economy expanding by 9.4% in 2025. In the same year, tourism and conferences alone generated a record USD 685 million, supported by 1.49 million visitors, with Kigali recognized as Africa's second-leading destination for international meetings. By 2029, Rwanda aims to significantly boost its economy by doubling private investment to USD 4.6 billion and increasing annual tourism revenues to USD 1.1 billion.

Aston Villa has proudly announced this as the most important sponsorship deal in the history of the football club. Supporters who have already purchased the 2026/27 home shirt in-store or online and wish to feature Visit Rwanda's branding on the front can do so free of charge by taking their shirts to Aston Villa stores at Villa Park and the Bullring for application.