More Chinese are travelling to Kenya for tourism, business and professional opportunities with the upgrading of China-Kenya relations, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan has said.

This is even as Kenya and China launched the 2025 China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season, an initiative designed to enhance tourism, strengthen cultural ties and promote deeper connections between the peoples of both nations.

Speaking during the launch, Haiyan described the initiative as a powerful platform for celebrating shared values, cultural richness and the strong friendship between Kenya and China.

“There is broad space and huge potential for deepening cultural and tourism cooperation between our two countries. This initiative builds on the momentum from President Ruto’s recent State Visit to China and reflects our commitment to a shared future,” Haiyan said.

Inbound tourists

According to statistics, China is now Kenya’s 6th largest source country of inbound tourists. Kenya welcomed over 90,000 Chinese visitors in 2024, a record increase of 47.4 per cent over the previous year.

The event follows a bilateral agreement reached in April between President William Ruto and Chinese President Xi Jinping to elevate diplomatic relations to a “China-Kenya Community of Shared Future for the New Era.”

According to the envoy, the culture and tourism Season will feature a variety of events, including cultural performances, exhibitions, educational exchanges and tourism promotion campaigns across both nations.

“With the China-Kenya relations being upgraded and entering the phase of building the China-Kenya Community with a shared future, historic opportunities are emerging for further deepening and developing the bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” Haiyan said.

On her part, Culture, the Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo while praising the long-standing partnership between Kenya and China across sectors such as education, media and heritage preservation, said that China has helped Kenyan students.

“Investment in human capital is crucial for Kenya’s development, as these students return with valuable skills and knowledge. Currently, there is a team of 20 freshly back from China, where they have been receiving training on intangible cultural heritage,” Cheptumo said.

The CS further highlighted that the Sino-Kenya Palaeolithic Archaeological project, which has made significant scientific discoveries around Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, is contributing to both academic knowledge and cultural tourism.