At the annual BRICS tourism ministers' meeting held in Brazil, Russia has put forward a strategic proposal to create a wine and food tourism association among the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).
The initiative, aimed at promoting enogastronomic tourism and deeper collaboration between public and private sectors in the winemaking industry, may soon find a key stakeholder in Russia’s leading sparkling wine producer, Abrau-Durso Group.
The idea was first publicly floated during the third Russian Winemaking Forum in 2024, where Boris Titov—presidential envoy for relations with international organizations for sustainable development and owner of Abrau-Durso—called for an international framework to support the growing nexus between wine, food, and travel.
“Winemaking offers vast potential to attract tourists globally. Enogastronomic tourism drives not only winery growth but also rural economic development,” said Titov.
He emphasized that Russia is witnessing a transformation in its wine landscape, with wineries evolving beyond production facilities into architectural and experiential destinations. The growth of boutique producers, diversified wine routes, and immersive tasting experiences is turning the Russian wine scene into a compelling tourism offer.
Moreover, BRICS members like South Africa and Brazil, already seasoned in wine tourism, would bring valuable know-how into the new association. The proposed collaboration would foster the exchange of best practices, joint marketing initiatives, and shared sustainability strategies, making wine tourism a unifying economic pillar across member nations.
Abrau-Durso, already a member of the Global Wine Tourism Organization (GWTO), has expressed interest in joining the BRICS-specific association. As Russia’s flagship in the sparkling wine sector, the winery is also actively expanding its tourism infrastructure.
The momentum for wine tourism is also gaining traction at the national policy level. At a recent Business Russia meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Mantera chairman Roman Batalov addressed legal roadblocks that are stalling agritourism growth. Russia’s land legislation currently prohibits the construction of tourism-related facilities like guesthouses and restaurants on agricultural land, limiting the sector’s expansion.
In response, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut announced that a bill is being prepared to expedite land rezoning from agricultural to recreational use, reducing bureaucratic wait times from several years to just six months. Discussions are also underway to allow limited-scale development on vineyard land without compromising the small share of land suitable for viticulture—currently only 110,000 hectares, with room to grow by an additional 20,000–30,000 hectares.
This coordinated push—from international BRICS collaboration to domestic policy reform—signals a clear commitment to wine tourism as a strategic growth avenue for Russia and its global partners. If realized, the BRICS Wine Tourism Association could become a powerful platform to amplify cultural exchange, regional branding, and economic resilience through responsible and immersive travel experiences.
Source: Interfax