Visit Rwanda has entered a global partnership with English football club Aston Villa to promote Rwanda as a destination for tourism, investment, business events and sport.
The partnership, announced in Birmingham on 14 July 2026, makes Visit Rwanda Aston Villa’s Principal Partner, Official Front-of-Shirt Partner, exclusive Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider. Visit Rwanda is managed by the Rwanda Convention Bureau.
Under the agreement, the Visit Rwanda brand will appear on the playing shirts of Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s and youth teams in domestic and European competitions.
The partnership gives Rwanda access to Aston Villa’s international football audience as the country seeks to attract more visitors, investors, conference organisers and business partners.
In addition to shirt branding, Visit Rwanda will receive visibility at Villa Park through matchday displays, interview backgrounds, digital content, international marketing campaigns and experiences designed for football supporters.
These activities will present Rwanda’s tourism attractions, hospitality services, investment opportunities, capital city and capacity to host international conferences and sporting events to audiences in the United Kingdom, Europe and other markets.
The agreement extends beyond tourism advertising. It includes programmes focusing on football development, coach education, academy exchanges, charitable activities and leadership development in Rwanda.
Scholarships and professional development opportunities are also expected to be created for talented Rwandans. The programmes are intended to strengthen skills, support sporting talent and expand cooperation between Rwanda and Aston Villa.
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, said the partnership would help position Rwanda as a country where international visitors can travel, invest and conduct business.
She explained that the agreement builds on eight years of efforts to increase awareness of Rwanda in the United Kingdom, which remains an important source market for the country’s tourism sector.
According to Karemera, working with Aston Villa will allow Visit Rwanda to reach new audiences in the United Kingdom, Europe and other regions while contributing to the long-term development of Rwanda’s football ecosystem.
Aston Villa’s President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo, described the agreement as part of the club’s continued expansion into international markets.
He said the partnership would create opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation in tourism, investment and sporting development.
The agreement adds Aston Villa to Visit Rwanda’s portfolio of international sports partnerships. The tourism brand also works with Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, the Basketball Africa League, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Rams.
These partnerships form part of Rwanda’s strategy of using internationally followed sports organisations to increase awareness of the country and connect with potential tourists, investors and business partners.
The Aston Villa agreement comes as Rwanda seeks to expand the economic contribution of tourism, conferences and private investment.
Official figures published by Visit Rwanda show that tourism and conferences generated $685 million in 2025, supported by approximately 1.49 million visitors. The country aims to increase annual tourism revenue to $1.1 billion and double private investment to $4.6 billion by 2029.
Through the partnership, Visit Rwanda and Aston Villa plan to use football’s international reach to encourage travel, promote investment, support professional development and create opportunities within Rwanda’s sporting sector.
Credit: The New Times and official statements from Visit Rwanda and Aston Villa Football Club
