Next week, from 24-26 October, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille will host the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Cape Town.

The event will provide an opportunity to exchange information and experiences, as well as deepen cooperation among the members of the five with the aim of reaching consensus on key policy priorities for a balanced tourism recovery.

South Africa, as chair of BRICS, will facilitate dialogue amongst the members of the grouping as well as provide impetus to the decisions of the BRICS summits where leaders acknowledged, amongst others, the urgent need to rebuild the tourism sector and the importance of increasing BRICS domestic tourism.

Over the past two years, BRICS members have made progress in agreeing on priority areas for tourism development. For example, in 2021, the BRICS Alliance for Green Tourism, led by India, became the focus area for tourism co-operation, and in 2022, the Green Growth, Sustainable Development and Recovery initiative launched by China.

To ensure continuity and utilise the combined strength of BRICS members, the theme of the South African BRICS Tourism Chairmanship in 2023 is “Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Recovery”, which is in line with the overall theme of the South African Chairmanship.

Tourism was one of the hardest hit sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. By recovering, the sector will continue to grow, providing critical jobs for people around the world and fuelling long-term sustainable growth.

As the BRICS partnership entails a strong commitment to joint cooperation, shared responsibility and strengthened collaboration, the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in 2023 will provide an opportunity for BRICS members to engage in dialogue, share experiences to develop a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive tourism sector, as reported by the official website of the South African government.

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