Jaipur. Under India’s Chairship, meeting of BRICS Tourism Ministers concluded at Jaipur on Friday with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026 (Jaipur Declaration), providing a framework for strengthening tourism cooperation among BRICS Member States.The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. It marked the culmination of the BRICS Tourism Track under India’s Chairship in 2026, being taken forward under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”The meeting saw participation from nine BRICS Member States. Ministerial participation included Mr. Gustavo Costa Feliciando, Minister of Tourism, Brazil; Mr. Reza Salehi Amiri, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran; Ms. Patricia De Lille, Minister of Tourism, South Africa; and H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, United Arab Emirates, along with Heads of Delegation from China, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Russia. The Indian delegation included Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, and Shri Harikishore S., Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, among other officials.The Jaipur Declaration reflects the work undertaken through the BRICS Tourism Working Group during India’s Chairship around four thematic priorities — Artificial Intelligence and Tourism; Sustainability and Responsible Tourism; Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building; and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation.The Ministers’ Communique adopted by consensus by BRICS Tourism Ministers recognises the transformative potential of responsible, safe and human-centred Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies in tourism and supports cooperation in tourism planning, destination management, visitor services, multilingual communication and travel facilitation.It further places emphasis on sustainable and community-centred tourism, protection of natural and cultural heritage, tourism investment and infrastructure, development and promotion of diverse tourism products, continuous skilling and upskilling, industry-academia partnerships, exchange of tourism data and statistics, sharing of best practices and stronger people-to-people connectivity among BRICS Member States.Addressing the meeting, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that tourism has an important role in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047 and has the unique ability to take growth beyond major economic centres to towns, villages and remote regions. He said tourism creates opportunities for hotels and homestays, taxi operators, guides, artisans, weavers, farmers, entrepreneurs and millions of families whose livelihoods are directly or indirectly connected with the sector.The Minister highlighted India’s efforts to build a tourism ecosystem that is economically prosperous, environmentally responsible, technologically enabled and culturally authentic. He further remarked, “Tourism ultimately connects people. It creates opportunities for communities, enables cultural exchange and allows citizens of our countries to understand one another beyond the formal relationships between governments.”On the sidelines of the Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, India held bilateral meetings with Brazil, Iran, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The engagements provided an opportunity for interaction with the respective Ministerial delegations and for taking forward tourism cooperation.A press conference was also held on the BRICS Tourism Track under India’s Chairship, highlighting the outcomes of the Tourism Ministers’ Meeting and the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration.Alongside part of Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Jaipur, curated experiences spotlighting traditional arts, crafts and community-based tourism initiatives were showcased to Ministers and delegates.On 22 August 2026, the Ministers and delegates will undertake a visit to some of Jaipur’s iconic heritage attractions, including Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Amber Fort, providing them an opportunity to experience the city’s rich architectural, cultural and tourism heritage.