The Rwanda Development Board(RDB) has clarified the state of the partnership between Rwanda and Arsenal which has been subject to speculation for a couple of days.
“After a successful start to the 3-year partnership with Arsenal Football Club, the Rwanda Development Board decided in 2019 to renew the partnership, which was then announced on 14 May 2021, during the launch of the club’s 2021/22 away kit,” RDD explained on Twitter.
RDB further explained the gains that were made from Visit Rwanda whereby by the end of the first year of the partnership, Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 17% to US$498M in 2019 from US$425M in 2018.
Leisure tourists from Europe increased by 22% and by 17% from the UK.
With this, RDB says that the continued partnership is a sure deal.
“The renewed partnership will build on the gains made over the last 3 years & contribute towards Rwanda’s economic recovery strategy following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the tourism sector,” reads the RDB message.
“The partnership will also continue to leverage Arsenal’s expertise to develop football locally in Rwanda, with a focus on improving the quality of coaching at the grassroots level for girls and boys.”
