The BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, held in Jaipur under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship, concluded with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026, also known as the Jaipur Declaration. The declaration sets out a framework for enhancing tourism collaboration and creating stronger connections among BRICS member countries.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and marked the culmination of the BRICS Tourism Track led by India. The discussions were guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
Representatives from nine BRICS member countries participated in the ministerial meeting, including Brazil, Iran, South Africa, the UAE, China, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Russia and India. The discussions focused on identifying areas where greater cooperation can contribute to the long-term development of tourism across the grouping.
Jaipur Declaration Focuses on Four Key Areas
The Jaipur Declaration places emphasis on four major areas of tourism cooperation:
- Artificial Intelligence and Tourism
- Sustainable and Responsible Tourism
- Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building
- Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation
The member countries acknowledged the growing role of AI and digital technologies in transforming tourism. The declaration encourages cooperation in areas such as destination management, tourism planning, visitor services, multilingual communication and facilitating travel.
Sustainability also emerged as a key priority, with emphasis on community-led tourism, conservation of natural and cultural heritage, tourism infrastructure and investment, and the development of diverse tourism experiences.
The declaration further calls for continuous skill development and capacity building within the tourism sector. Greater collaboration between industry and academic institutions, sharing of tourism data and best practices, and stronger people-to-people exchanges have also been identified as important areas of cooperation.
Tourism as a Driver of Inclusive Economic Growth
Speaking at the meeting, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted the broader economic and social contribution of tourism. He noted that tourism can help spread economic opportunities beyond major urban centres and create livelihoods in smaller towns, villages and remote destinations.
The tourism ecosystem supports a wide range of stakeholders, including hotels, homestays, transport operators, tour guides, artisans, weavers, farmers and entrepreneurs. Strengthening this ecosystem can therefore contribute significantly to inclusive economic development.
The Minister also underlined India’s efforts to build a tourism sector that combines economic growth, environmental responsibility, technological innovation and cultural authenticity.
India Holds Bilateral Tourism Discussions
Alongside the BRICS ministerial meeting, India also held bilateral discussions with Brazil, Iran, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates to explore opportunities for strengthening tourism ties with these countries.
The Jaipur programme also featured traditional arts, crafts and community-based tourism initiatives, giving participating delegates an opportunity to experience aspects of Rajasthan’s rich cultural heritage.
The adoption of the Jaipur Declaration marks another step towards building a more collaborative, sustainable and technology-driven tourism ecosystem among BRICS nations, with greater emphasis on travel facilitation, skills, innovation and stronger international tourism exchanges.
