JAIPUR, INDIA / DUBAI, UAE (INPUTS FROM WAM) — The UAE has stepped up its engagement in BRICS tourism cooperation, participating in the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting held in Jaipur under India’s Chairship, where member states adopted the Jaipur Declaration (Ministers’ Communique).
Held on Friday under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the meeting followed preparatory discussions by the BRICS Tourism Working Group on 19 and 20 August.
The declaration sets out four key priorities for tourism cooperation during India’s Chairship — Artificial Intelligence and Tourism; Sustainability and Responsible Tourism; Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building; and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation.
The UAE delegation was led by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, who welcomed the meeting’s outcomes and reaffirmed the UAE’s full support for India’s BRICS presidency and its tourism cooperation priorities.
Al Marri stressed that tourism is more than the movement of people between destinations, describing it as an important driver of investment, economic growth and job creation, while also helping build stronger ties between people and communities.
The UAE also backed the proposed “BRICS Tourism Solutions Exchange Platform,” which Al Marri described as a practical avenue for member states to share expertise, solutions, success stories and training opportunities, while encouraging innovation across the tourism sector.
The ministers’ communique, adopted by consensus, highlights the potential of responsible, safe and human-centred AI and digital technologies to transform tourism. It also calls for greater cooperation in tourism planning, destination management, visitor services, multilingual communication and travel facilitation.
The declaration further promotes sustainable and community-centred tourism, protection of natural and cultural heritage, tourism investment and infrastructure, skills development, industry-academia partnerships, tourism data exchange, best-practice sharing and stronger people-to-people connectivity among BRICS member states.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Al Marri held separate talks with India’s Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Brazil’s Minister of Tourism Gustavo Costa Feliciano.
The discussions explored ways to expand tourism cooperation between the UAE and India and Brazil, including increasing tourism flows, developing new tourism products and experiences, organizing joint tourism events and initiatives, and exchanging expertise on the management and development of tourism destinations.
INPUTS AND IMAGE COURTESY: WAM NEWS (www.wam.ae)
