MOSCOW: The BRICS group of leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa unveiled a joint tourism roadmap to boost travel among member states at its first-ever tourism forum in Moscow over the weekend.
Formed in 2009 as an investment forum, the BRICS grouping has evolved into a geopolitical bloc, expanding in January to include Iran, the UAE, Ethiopia and Egypt.
The group’s leaders meet at an annual summit hosted by the member state that holds the presidency, which this year is Russia.
More than 300 industry representatives gathered in Moscow on Friday at the BRICS Tourism Forum, where representatives from the nine member states unveiled a roadmap of joint policy and investment initiatives.
The roadmap includes the development of digital tourism solutions, the BRICS green initiative on tourism, and strengthening business ties in the sector, which Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov noted contributes around 5 percent to member states’ economies.
“We can say that the BRICS tourism track has now been officially launched,” Reshetnikov told reporters. “The document will strengthen cooperation in the digitalization of the tourism industry and in promoting and increasing tourist exchanges.”
India’s tourism ministry welcomed the roadmap: “This is a great achievement and the first of its kind. Going forward, countries will work together through the roadmap,” Niraj Sharan, additional secretary at the ministry, told Arab News.
“In the future, more and more tourists will travel within the BRICS countries. Travel procedures will be relaxed, hospitality industries will cooperate, and countries will invest in each other’s companies.”
Amr El Kadi, chairman of the Tourism Promotion Department at Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, stressed the importance of the BRICS Tourism Forum, saying, “It opens up new territory.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to work together within the BRICS countries to boost domestic tourism. We have ambitious plans, including a major programme to promote Egypt in India,” he said. “We are working hard with the Indian embassy in Cairo. We have a joint task force to boost two-way tourism.”
The combined population of the BRICS countries accounts for approximately 45% of the world’s population and approximately 25% of the world’s economy.
Since last year, 40 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Pakistan, have expressed interest in joining the BRICS bloc, which represents the Global South and aims to offer an alternative to the Western-dominated G7, a grouping of the most advanced economies including Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States.
