BRICS Tourism Ministers Adopt Jaipur Declaration

BRICS Tourism Ministers adopted the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026, also called the Jaipur Declaration, by consensus in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 21 August 2026. The ministerial meeting was held under India’s 2026 Chairship of BRICS and was chaired by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism.

BRICS Tourism Track

The BRICS Tourism Track in 2026 was guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. Representatives from nine BRICS member states participated in the meeting, including Brazil, Iran, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Key Priorities in the Declaration

The Jaipur Declaration set out four priority areas for cooperation among BRICS members. These priorities were AI and Tourism, Sustainability and Responsible Tourism, Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building, and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation.

Artificial Intelligence in Tourism

The Communiqué referred to safe, responsible and human-centred AI for destination management, travel facilitation, visitor services and multilingual communication. AI in tourism is used for digital booking systems, customer support, route planning and data-based visitor management.

Preparatory Process and Participation

The declaration followed preparatory discussions in Jaipur on 19 and 20 August 2026 under the BRICS Tourism Working Group. The host delegation included Ministry of Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar and Joint Secretary Harikishore S.

Important Facts for Exams

• BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping of major emerging economies.
• Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and a UNESCO World Heritage City.
• Tourism is a service sector linked with transport, hospitality and cultural exchange.
• Responsible tourism is a policy term associated with environmental, social and economic sustainability.

BRICS Tourism Cooperation

BRICS tourism meetings are part of the wider BRICS ministerial framework. The 2026 tourism meeting in Jaipur formed part of India’s chairship agenda for sectoral cooperation.