Kenya targets tourism growth through heritage and biodiversity partnerships

Kenya is seeking to boost tourism revenue by integrating cultural tourism with convention tourism, a move expected to enrich visitor experiences while repositioning the sector as a key driver of economic growth.

The push comes as the country increasingly looks beyond traditional wildlife safaris and beaches to diversify tourism products through heritage, indigenous knowledge, arts, and eco-cultural experiences.

Despite disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism remains one of the world’s leading economic sectors, contributing about 10.3 per cent of global GDP before the outbreak.

Speaking during this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity celebrations held at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi on Friday, Wildlife Research and Training Institute Deputy Director for Research and Innovation Watai Kavaka Mukonyi said cultural tourism is among the fastest-growing tourism segments globally.

“Kenya is currently repositioning tourism as one of the major drivers of economic growth through diversification of tourism products, development of niche markets, enhancement of domestic tourism, and expansion into emerging markets, including Africa and Asia,” said Watai.

“Research by the Tourism Research Institute further indicates growing interest in cultural tourism, with increasing numbers of international and domestic tourists seeking authentic cultural experiences as part of their travel choices,” said Mukonyi.

Watai added that Kenya’s Tourism Strategy 2021–2025 seeks to position the country as an all-year-round destination by creating diverse tourism experiences, rebranding Kenya as a premium sustainable destination, and promoting innovation and digital transformation within the sector.

He said the Ministry of Tourism has started initiatives to promote tourism across all 47 counties with special focus on convention and cultural tourism.

“Africa’s tourism strength lies not only in its biodiversity and landscapes, but also in its rich cultural diversity, heritage, indigenous knowledge, and the warmth and hospitality of its people,” said Mukonyi.

“Diversification of cultural heritage tourism products is expected to enhance Kenya’s competitiveness as a destination while contributing to economic recovery and inclusive development.”

The remarks followed a photo exhibition titled Enchanted Encounters: From China’s Yellow Sea Wetlands to the African Savanna, organised by Xinhua News Agency as part of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

The exhibition attracted senior government officials, diplomats, tourism stakeholders, scholars, and conservationists, showcasing China’s natural heritage, wildlife, forests, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems alongside African wildlife.

At the heart of the exhibition was the story of the milu deer, a species once driven to extinction in China before being successfully restored through conservation efforts.

Chen Weihong, vice mayor of Yancheng City in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, said the exhibition was intended to introduce African audiences to China’s iconic wildlife species, including the milu deer, red-crowned cranes, and spoon-billed sandpiper.

"Through photographs as bridges and ecology as a medium, we add a warm footnote to China-Africa friendship, fostering cultural understanding and heart-to-heart connection," Chen said.

Xinhua Africa Regional Bureau Director General Ying Qiang said the exhibition was aimed at deepening mutual learning between civilisations while strengthening China-Africa friendship.

“We hope this exhibition will serve as a bridge to foster deeper exchanges and cooperation between China and Kenya, and indeed between China and Africa as a whole, in the field of ecological conservation.”

The day also saw the signing of a partnership agreement between the Kenya Tourism Board and Yanwu Group to promote eco-cultural tourism.

Zhou Jun, deputy permanent representative of China to the United Nations Environment Program, said biodiversity conservation remains a key pillar of China-Africa cooperation.

"The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027) explicitly emphasizes strengthening exchanges in protecting wildlife, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use," Zhou said.

H.E. Erastus Mwencha, former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission and a member of the Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Initiative, described the restoration of the milu deer as one of the world’s greatest conservation success stories and an inspiration for Kenya’s wildlife protection efforts.

“The return of the Milu deer has strengthened the wetland ecosystem and protected one of the world’s most important natural habitats. This success is an inspiration for the growing partnership between China and Kenya in wildlife conservation and cultural exchange,” said Mwencha.

He noted that while Kenya continues to face declining populations of species such as the white rhino, lion, and leopard, the milu deer story demonstrates that conservation losses can be reversed.

“The journey of the Milu deer, from extinction in China, to survival in Europe, and finally to restoration in its homeland, shows what humanity can achieve through trust, science, and international friendship,” said Mwencha.