Visit Rwanda and English Premier League club Aston Villa on Tuesday, July 14, unveiled a landmark global partnership that will see the Visit Rwanda brand feature on the front of the club's shirts as part of a major sponsorship agreement. The partnership makes Aston Villa the second Premier League club to partner with Visit Rwanda after Arsenal whose eight-year partnership came to an end on June 30 where the Rwanda tourism brand featured on the sleeve of both the men's and women's team shirts. Below are full statements released by both parties on the partnership: Visit Rwanda statement Birmingham, United Kingdom – Tuesday, 14 July 2026 – Visit Rwanda, managed by the Rwanda Convention Bureau, today announced a landmark global partnership with Aston Villa Football Club, one of England’s most historic clubs. Under the agreement, Visit Rwanda becomes the Club’s Official Front-of-Shirt Partner, exclusive Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider The partnership unites Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, and Birmingham, historically known as the City of a Thousand Trades – two places defined by enterprise, innovation and ambition. ALSO READ: Aston Villa unveils Visit Rwanda as front-of-shirt sponsor Leveraging football’s global platform, the collaboration will showcase Rwanda as a destination for tourism, trade, investment and sport, with Visit Rwanda benefitting from year-round global visibility on the playing shirts of Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s and youth teams in all competitions, including the FA Premier League and European competitions. The partnership also includes extensive matchday visibility at Villa Park, international marketing campaigns, digital storytelling and fan experiences that will showcase Rwanda’s tourism offerings, thriving capital city, world-class hospitality and growing reputation as a destination for business, investment, major events, and sporting ambitions to millions of fans around the world. Beyond global brand exposure, the partnership also includes initiatives focused on football development, coach education, academy exchanges, charitable initiatives and leadership initiatives within Rwanda, together with scholarships and professional development opportunities for talented Rwandans, all anchored around Rwanda’s long-term commitment to using sport as a catalyst for economic growth, skills development and social impact. Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said: “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. Bringing together the Land of a Thousand Hills and the City of a Thousand Trades celebrates a shared commitment to enterprise, innovation and ambition. Building on eight successful years of raising awareness and engagement in the United Kingdom, one of Rwanda’s key tourism source markets, we look forward to working with Aston Villa to expand our reach to new audiences in the UK, across Europe and beyond. Through this partnership, we aim to deepen the connection with those already considering travel to Rwanda, whether for tourism, investment or business events, all while contributing to the long-term growth and development of the football ecosystem in Rwanda.” Francesco Calvo, President of Business Operations, said: “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. 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 partnership further strengthens Visit Rwanda’s position as one of the world’s leading destination brands in global sport, building on existing partnerships with Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, the Basketball Africa League, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Rams. A new chapter begins. Visit Rwanda is proud to partner with Aston Villa FC as the Club’s Front-of-Shirt Partner, Exclusive Official Tourism Partner, and Official Coffee Partner. This partnership gives us a powerful way to bring Rwanda closer to millions of people around the... pic.twitter.com/AZk5B6HHeC — Jean-Guy K. Afrika (@afrika_jean) July 14, 2026 The partnership comes as Rwanda continues to build one of Africa’s strongest and most sustained economic growth stories. Over the past two decades, the country has recorded average annual GDP growth of around 8%, with the economy expanding by 9.4% in 2025. Tourism and conferences generated a record USD 685 million in 2025, supported by 1.49 million visitors and Kigali’s ranking as Africa’s second-leading destination for international meetings. By 2029, Rwanda aims to double private investment to USD 4.6 billion and increase annual tourism revenues to USD 1.1 billion. Together, Visit Rwanda and Aston Villa will work to contribute to these ambitions by harnessing the global power of football to inspire travel, attract investment, develop talent and showcase Rwanda to audiences around the world. Aston Villa statement Aston Villa is pleased to announce Visit Rwanda as the club’s Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider. Visit Rwanda’s branding will appear on the front of all men’s, women’s and academy teams' shirts, as well as in a number of other prominent spaces, in an agreement that will be the most important sponsorship deal in the history of the football club. Alongside tourism, Rwanda has a growing reputation as a destination for business, investment, major events and sport and both parties will also collaborate on a number of initiatives focused on football and coaching as well as charitable and leadership initiatives and professional development opportunities. Francesco Calvo, President of Business Operations, said: “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. “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 activations through tourism, investment and sporting development.” Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said: 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. Bringing together the Land of a Thousand Hills and the City of a Thousand Trades celebrates a shared commitment to enterprise, innovation and ambition. Building on eight successful years of raising awareness and engagement in the United Kingdom, one of Rwanda's key tourism source markets, we look forward to working with Aston Villa to expand our reach to new audiences in the UK, across Europe and beyond. Through this partnership, we aim to deepen the connection with those already considering travel to Rwanda, whether for tourism, investment or business events, all while contributing to the long-term growth and development of the football ecosystem in Rwanda. Supporters who have already purchased the 2026/27 home shirt in-store and online, and wish to have Visit Rwanda’s branding on the front, can take their shirts into the Aston Villa stores at Villa Park and the Bullring to have this applied free of charge.
