Speaking at the 2026 BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in India, Reza Salehi Amiri thanked the Indian government for hosting the gathering and the BRICS organization for placing resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, as well as a “people-centered approach to the common future of humanity,” at the center of discussions.
He stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation to shape a human-centered future for the tourism industry.
The Iranian minister also condemned the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran, saying the attacks had inflicted profound suffering on the Iranian people and killed more than 4,000 innocent people, including 168 defenseless children at a school in Minab, as well as civilians and a number of prominent scientific, intellectual and cultural figures.
Salehi Amiri added that the aggression seriously damaged 149 historical and cultural sites, including five sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, raising serious concerns about the protection of Iran’s cultural heritage.
He stressed that resilience should not be understood merely as a tourism destination’s ability to overcome a crisis. Rather, true resilience means the ability of people, communities and cultures to preserve their identity, rebuild their livelihoods and lives, and recover their strength and dignity.
Presenting Iran’s proposals for strengthening tourism cooperation within BRICS, Salehi Amiri called for the development of a tourism model that is resilient in the face of crises, innovative in responding to change, sustainable for future generations and, above all, human-centered.
“Let us turn tourism into a bridge among nations; a bridge that connects cultures, revives hope, supports communities and contributes to lasting peace,” he said.