Visit Rwanda has signed one of its biggest international sports marketing deals to date, becoming the Official Front-of-Shirt Partner of English Premier League club Aston Villa in a partnership designed to boost Rwanda’s tourism, investment and global brand visibility.
Announced on Tuesday, the agreement also names Visit Rwanda as Aston Villa’s exclusive Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider, extending Rwanda’s international sports marketing strategy to one of England’s most historic football clubs.
The partnership will see the Visit Rwanda brand displayed on the playing shirts of Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s and youth teams across all competitions, including the English Premier League and European tournaments, giving Rwanda year-round exposure to millions of football fans worldwide.
In addition to shirt sponsorship, the agreement includes prominent branding at Villa Park, international marketing campaigns, digital storytelling, and fan engagement activities aimed at promoting Rwanda as a leading destination for tourism, conferences, investment and major sporting events.
The collaboration also goes beyond branding, with both parties committing to football development programmes in Rwanda. These include coach education, academy exchanges, leadership initiatives, charitable projects, scholarships and professional development opportunities for young Rwandans, reinforcing the country’s long-term strategy of using sport as a driver of economic growth and human capital development.
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, described the agreement as a strategic investment in Rwanda’s international profile.
“This sponsorship is a powerful expression of Rwanda’s ambition to engage global audiences through one of the world’s most influential platforms and position our country as a destination to visit, invest and do business,” she said.
Karemera noted that the partnership builds on eight years of promoting Rwanda in the United Kingdom, one of the country’s key tourism source markets, and is expected to expand Rwanda’s reach across the UK, Europe and other international markets while supporting the development of football within Rwanda.
Aston Villa’s President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo, said the agreement reflects the club’s growing international ambitions.
“This is a very exciting partnership for Aston Villa Football Club and a symbol of the club’s continuing expansion and growth into international markets,” Calvo said. “There is a great range and depth of opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation and we are looking forward to working with Visit Rwanda to deliver meaningful activities through tourism, investment and sporting development.”
The latest deal further expands Visit Rwanda’s global sports sponsorship portfolio, which already includes partnerships with Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, the Basketball Africa League, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Rams.
The announcement comes as Rwanda continues to post strong economic growth. The country’s economy expanded by 9.4% in 2025, while tourism and conference activities generated a record US$685 million, supported by 1.49 million visitors. Kigali also maintained its position as Africa’s second-leading destination for international meetings.
Under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), Rwanda aims to increase annual tourism revenues to US$1.1 billion and double private investment to US$4.6 billion by 2029.
Officials say the Aston Villa partnership is expected to play a key role in achieving those ambitions by using the global appeal of football to attract visitors, investors and business opportunities while strengthening Rwanda’s international reputation as a destination for tourism, commerce and sport.
