State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, has revealed that Uganda is exploring strategic partnerships with leading English Premier League clubs to promote the #VisitUganda brand on their jerseys. Speaking in an interview this morning, the Minister noted that globally recognized football clubs such as Arsenal FC could serve as powerful ambassadors for Uganda’s tourism industry, significantly enhancing the country’s international visibility and attracting new visitors from key tourism markets.
According to the Minister, the idea is inspired by the success of Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” campaign, which gained worldwide exposure through sponsorship agreements with major European football clubs. Arsenal’s partnership alone enabled the “Visit Rwanda” brand to reach millions of football fans across continents, with the club’s matches, digital platforms, and merchandise providing unprecedented global visibility for the East African nation. The campaign demonstrated how sports marketing can be leveraged to position a country as a desirable tourism and investment destination. 
Hon. Nsambu explained that Uganda can equally capitalize on football’s immense popularity, particularly among young people. She observed that the excitement generated by Arsenal’s recent Premier League triumph further highlighted the deep passion Ugandans have for European football. Across Uganda, Premier League matches consistently attract large television audiences, while clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United F.C., Liverpool F.C. and Chelsea F.C. command enormous fan bases, making football one of the most influential cultural and entertainment platforms in the country.
The Minister emphasized that aligning Uganda’s tourism brand with globally followed football clubs would provide a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s diverse attractions, including mountain gorilla trekking, the source of the Nile, national parks, cultural heritage sites, and adventure tourism experiences. Such partnerships would expose the “Pearl of Africa” to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, strengthening Uganda’s competitiveness in the increasingly crowded global tourism marketplace.
Her remarks come at a time when Uganda’s tourism sector is experiencing strong recovery and growth. Official statistics show that Uganda welcomed approximately 1.37 million international visitors in 2024, representing a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year. Tourism earnings also surged to about US$1.28 billion (Shs4.8 trillion), underlining the sector’s growing contribution to national exports, employment creation, and foreign exchange earnings. 
Hon. Nsambu expressed optimism that a successful partnership with a Premier League club would elevate Uganda’s global profile, stimulate tourism arrivals, attract investment opportunities, and strengthen the country’s brand positioning on the international stage. She stressed that modern tourism marketing requires innovative approaches that go beyond traditional advertising, and that football sponsorship presents a valuable platform through which Uganda can tell its story to the world while accelerating the growth of one of its most important economic sectors.
