China, Kenya strengthen eco-cultural tourism ties as biodiversity day marked in Nairobi

Kenya and China have pledged closer cooperation in eco-cultural tourism and biodiversity conservation, following a series of events held in Nairobi to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity.

The celebrations, organised by Xinhua News Agency together with the Publicity Department of the Yancheng Municipal Committee, included a photo exhibition titled “Enchanted Encounters: From China’s Yellow Sea Wetlands to the African Savannas” at the National Museums of Kenya.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ying Qiang, Director General of Xinhua News Agency’s Africa Bureau, said the exhibition aims to deepen mutual learning between civilisations and promote practical cooperation in wildlife conservation.

“The year 2026 has been designated as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Building on this important occasion, we have jointly organised this exhibition to carry forward the longstanding friendship between China and Africa,” Mr. Ying said.

He noted that Yancheng, a city on China’s east coast, is home to one of the largest coastal wetland ecosystems on the western Pacific coast, hosting the world’s largest wild Milu deer population and more than 60 percent of the global population of the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper.

“Many Chinese netizens refer to Yancheng as the ‘Kenya of the East’. This is not only praise for Yancheng’s achievements in ecological conservation, but also a reflection of the deep ecological resonance shared between our two regions across thousands of miles,” Mr. Ying added.

Kenya’s Deputy Director for Research and Innovation at the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Mukonyi Kavaka Watai OGW, told the conference that Kenya is repositioning tourism as a major driver of economic growth through product diversification and niche market development.

“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,” Mr. Watai said.

He revealed that Kenya is implementing an Indigenous Knowledge Documentation and Digitisation Programme, which has documented hundreds of unique cultural assets across counties. These include sacred heritage sites, traditional foods, healthcare systems, crafts, music, dance, and indigenous governance systems.

“These assets provide enormous opportunities for developing community-based cultural tourism and positioning counties as unique tourism destinations,” he said.

The theme of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity was “Acting Locally for Global Impact”. Mr. Watai noted that the theme underscores the critical role of local communities, indigenous knowledge systems, and institutions in translating the ambitions of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into action.

He called for strengthened Kenya-China cooperation through joint activities toward the upcoming CBD COP17, revival of cultural exchange programmes, collaborative research, and eco-cultural tourism partnerships.

The photo exhibition, which runs at the National Museums of Kenya, features images of spoon-billed sandpipers, Milu deer, golden snub-nosed monkeys, alongside African elephants, giraffes, and rhinos.

Mr. Ying Qiang said Xinhua News Agency stands ready to leverage its role as both a media organisation and a think tank to build bridges for exchanges between China and Kenya.

“In the face of shared challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, the international community should strengthen cooperation and build broader consensus,” he said.