Rwanda is to become the official tourism partner of Premier League football team, Arsenal. The campaign will see Rwanda become Arsenal’s first ever sleeve partner.
The partnership, which will run over three years, will place the new ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo on the left sleeve of the team kit for all first team, under-23 and Arsenal Women’s players from the new season, beginning in August. According to Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Vinai Venkatesham the Arsenal shirt is seen 35 million times a day around the world.
The deal will create exposure for Rwanda through branding on match day LED boards, interview backdrops and the club’s stadium tour, which attracts more than 250 000 visitors each year. The partnership will highlight Rwanda’s tourism offerings, including the national parks, which received 94 000 visitors in 2017.
Clare Akamanzi, Rwanda Development Board Chief Executive Officer, emphasises the potential for investment through this exposure: “We are telling investors to visit Rwanda and discover why we are the second-fastest growing economy in Africa, growing at 7.3% per annum.”
She adds that businesses in Rwanda can enjoy opportunities through the fair trade agreements that Rwanda has signed with more than 50 countries. The tourism industry in Rwanda is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner and sustains 90 000 jobs.
