What began in 2018 as a tourism marketing deal between Rwanda and Arsenal has grown into one of Africa’s most visible Sports Brand Partnerships, blending Global Football Exposure with Tourism Promotion, Conservation Messaging, and Youth Football Development.
The collaboration was officially launched in May 2018, when Arsenal announced Visit Rwanda as its official tourism partner and the club’s first-ever sleeve sponsor on a three-year agreement, and was framed as more than shirt branding.
According to the Rwanda Development Board, the initiative aligned with Rwanda’s longer-term tourism and conservation strategy, while Arsenal’s international reach gave Visit Rwanda access to a global audience far beyond East Africa. Through match broadcasts, match day branding, and digital campaigns, Rwanda’s name entered households globally, quickly becoming central to the country’s international destination-marketing push.
In November 2025, both sides said the partnership would conclude in June 2026, ending an eight-season run.
The Partnership’s impact was felt almost immediately, defining the deal’s reputation. In 2019, Visit Rwanda received an Honorary Award for Partnership at the Best of Africa Awards in London for what organizers called a “unique and transformational partnership,” citing its role in helping tourists and investors discover Rwanda.
The partnership also included coaching clinics for aspiring Rwandan footballers. In 2020, it won the European Sponsorship Association Award, and later earned a Silver Award at the Football Business Awards in 2023.
Besides the awards, RDB acknowledged that the partnership improved Rwanda’s visibility as a tourism destination.
An independent survey of Arsenal fans across 30 markets found that 75% were not aware of Rwanda as a tourism destination before the partnership, while 51% said they were more likely to consider Rwanda afterward.
RDB also reported that 1.1 million people visited Rwanda in 2022, generating more than US$445 million in revenue. Visitor arrivals rose to 1.3 million in 2024, with tourism revenues reaching US$650 million, a 47% increase since the partnership began.
On the football side, the partnership created repeated people-to-people moments between Arsenal and Rwanda. Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber visited Rwanda in December 2023 as part of the collaboration, meeting young players and touring the Akagera National Park and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Arsenal and RDB also highlighted broader grassroots efforts and coaching development, with the 2025 update noting that the partnership had helped hundreds of young players and coaches build skills while strengthening Rwanda’s ambition to become a sporting hub in Africa.
As the Partnership approaches its conclusion in June 2026, the Visit Rwanda-Arsenal collaboration leaves behind a lasting legacy: global visibility for Rwanda, award-winning sponsorship recognition, and a stronger link between tourism, conservation, and sport, exceeding its initial goals.
