ACCRA-
‘Visit Ghana’ set to feature on Sunderland shirts as country turns English football into a global tourism platform
Ghana is taking its tourism promotion to one of the world’s biggest sporting stages, using English Premier League football to strengthen its global image and attract more international visitors.
Through its “Visit Ghana” tourism brand, Ghana is set to feature on the shirts of Sunderland, in what is being described as a major sports-tourism marketing partnership reportedly valued at around £10 million annually.
The partnership is expected to make its official debut around Sunderland’s Premier League fixture against Arsenal, placing Ghana’s tourism brand before a massive international television and digital audience.
Football as a Tourism Billboard
The move reflects the growing recognition among African destinations that football can serve as much more than sport. The global reach of Europe’s major football leagues provides countries with an opportunity to promote their destinations, culture, heritage, hospitality and investment opportunities to millions of potential visitors.
For Ghana, the Sunderland partnership provides an opportunity to position the country beyond traditional tourism advertising and place “Visit Ghana” directly within the global entertainment and sporting ecosystem.
The initiative is reportedly being driven and financed by the private sector, with support from the Ghana Football Association and the Ministries of Sports and Finance. The private-sector-led structure also provides clarity around the financing of the partnership and helps distinguish the initiative from direct government expenditure.
Learning from Rwanda and Mauritius
Ghana is not the first African country to recognise the marketing power of European football.
Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” campaign with Arsenal became one of the continent’s most talked-about destination-marketing partnerships, demonstrating how football clubs can become powerful ambassadors for national tourism brands.
The campaign subsequently expanded its visibility through partnerships involving major European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid.
Mauritius has similarly explored the power of football partnerships, including its association with Liverpool, further demonstrating the growing competition among African and island destinations to secure global visibility through international sport.
A New Era for African Tourism Marketing
Ghana’s entry into this space highlights a broader transformation in destination marketing. African countries are increasingly looking beyond conventional tourism fairs, billboards and traditional advertising to reach global consumers through sport, entertainment, culture, fashion and digital media.
With the English Premier League attracting a worldwide audience, the Sunderland partnership could provide Ghana with an exceptional platform to showcase its beaches, cultural heritage, festivals, cuisine, historical sites, creative industries and business opportunities.
The strategy also reflects a growing understanding that tourism is not simply about selling attractions. It is about building a country’s brand, emotional connection and global visibility.
For Ghana, the message is clear: the road to attracting the next generation of international visitors may run as much through the football stadium as through the traditional tourism marketplace.
The development could also encourage other African destinations to explore innovative partnerships with global sporting institutions as competition for international tourists intensifies.
Ghana is taking its tourism brand to the Premier League — and putting the destination firmly in front of the world.
