Rwanda’s tourism brand Visit Rwanda secures Aston Villa front-of-shirt deal

Rwanda’s tourism brand Visit Rwanda secures Aston Villa front-of-shirt deal

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Erick Kariuki

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The tourism promotion brand will appear on Aston Villa’s men’s, women’s and academy team shirts from the 2026/27 season under what the club says is the biggest sponsorship deal in its history.

Visit Rwanda, Kigali’s global tourism and investment promotion brand, has expanded its international football footprint after signing a landmark front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with English Premier League club Aston Villa.
Aston Villa announced the partnership on its official website on Tuesday, confirming that Visit Rwanda will feature on the front of all club shirts from the 2026/27 season. It replaces current front-of-shirt sponsor Betano as Premier League clubs prepare to remove betting companies from the front of shirts under new league regulations taking effect from the 2026/27 campaign.
According to The Athletic, the agreement is expected to become the most valuable shirt sponsorship deal in Aston Villa’s history. Sources familiar with the partnership say it could generate up to £20 million (Sh3.5 billion) per season if agreed performance targets are met.

The land of a thousand hills meets the city of a thousand trades.

🤝 @VisitRwanda_Nowpic.twitter.com/KG1ratbnbG
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 14, 2026

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“The Rwandan Development Board’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,” Aston Villa said, without disclosing the value of the deal.
For Rwanda, the partnership marks another milestone in its long-term strategy of using global football to promote the country’s tourism, investment and business opportunities.
“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,” said Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB).
“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.”
Visit Rwanda has previously partnered with several of Europe’s top football clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid. Its £10 million (Sh1.8 billion)-a-year sleeve sponsorship deal with Arsenal ended after eight years at the close of last season.

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