English Premier League club Aston Villa has announced Visit Rwanda as its new Principal Partner, Official Tourism Partner, and Official Coffee Provider, in what the club describes as the largest commercial sponsorship agreement in its 152-year history.
Under the partnership, the Visit Rwanda brand, managed by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), will appear on the front of the shirts worn by Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams beginning with the 2026/27 season. The branding will also feature across Villa Park and the club’s digital and commercial platforms.
The agreement extends beyond shirt sponsorship, with both parties committing to collaborate on initiatives focused on tourism promotion, investment, football development, coaching, leadership, charitable programmes, and professional development.
Aston Villa President of Business Operations Francesco Calvo described the partnership as an important milestone for the club’s international growth.
“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 activations through tourism, investment and sporting development.”
The partnership marks another major step in Rwanda’s strategy of using sport as a platform to promote tourism, attract investment, and strengthen its global profile.
Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), said the agreement reflects Rwanda’s ambition to reach global audiences through one of the world’s most influential sports.
“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.
“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.”
She added that the partnership aims to encourage more visitors to consider Rwanda for tourism, business investment, and international conferences while also supporting the long-term development of football in Rwanda.
Launched in 2018, Visit Rwanda is the country’s flagship tourism campaign, promoting Rwanda as a destination for wildlife, culture, adventure tourism, investment, and business events. The campaign has gained international recognition through strategic partnerships with major sporting organizations and has played a key role in raising Rwanda’s global visibility.
Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda is home to world-renowned attractions including Volcanoes National Park, where visitors can trek endangered mountain gorillas, as well as Nyungwe National Park, Akagera National Park, and Lake Kivu. The country has also established itself as one of Africa’s fastest-growing destinations for meetings, conferences, and international sporting events.
Founded in 1874, Aston Villa Football Club is one of England’s oldest and most successful football clubs. Based in Birmingham, the club has won the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League), seven English league titles, seven FA Cups, and has re-established itself as a regular competitor in European football in recent seasons.
The agreement is expected to significantly increase Rwanda’s global exposure, with Aston Villa competing in one of the world’s most-watched football leagues and attracting millions of viewers across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
