Damas Sikubwabo
English Premier League club Aston Villa have announced Visit Rwanda as the club’s new principal partner, official tourism partner and official coffee partner.
The agreement will see the Visit Rwanda logo appear on the front of the shirts worn by Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s and academy teams, as well as across a range of other prominent club branding assets.
Aston Villa become 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.
“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,” said Aston Villa President of Business Operations Francesco Calvo.
“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.”
Visit Rwanda replaces betting company Betano as Aston Villa’s shirt sponsor.
After eight successful years with Arsenal, Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB) said the latest partnership with Aston Villa is part of Rwanda’s efforts to expand its awareness and engagement in the United Kingdom, which is 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,” Karemera 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.”
Beyond shirt sponsorship, the new partnership will also focus on promoting Rwanda as a leading destination for tourism, investment, business, major events and sport.
The two parties will collaborate on a range of initiatives, including football and coaching development programmes, charitable and community projects, leadership initiatives, and professional development opportunities.
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