Jordan Princess Dana Firas with a Special Video Address to the Investment Forum in Sunny Beach: I applaud Bulgaria for the successes achieved in tourism

The Investment Forum is the first ever platform in Southeastern Europe covering all aspects of the sector

Her Royal Highness Princess Dana Firas of Jordan welcomeD the successes of Bulgarian tourism in recent years. She made a special video address, congratulating the Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova and the participants and guests of the International Conference on Sustainable Investment in Tourism in Sunny Beach.

This forum is an important platform, the first of its kind in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe, which deals with the social, economic, environmental, cultural and political aspects of tourism. It gives an opportunity to discuss the challenges and identify new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and sustainable development of the sector, said Dana Firas, president of Petra National Trust, Jordan.

Her Royal Highness congratulated Minister Angelkova on her efforts and dedication, thanks to which 2018 has been so successful for Bulgarian tourism, attracting for the first time over 9 million foreign tourists. She added that for the last 3 years in Bulgaria there has been an increase of 31% in the visits of foreign tourists and a 34% increase in the revenues from international tourism.

The Jordanian princess also said that last year international tourist visits worldwide increased by 6% to 1.4 billion - the second strongest year since 2010. This is more than 3.7% - the strongest growth of the global economy. Tourism contributed a record 8.8 trillion dollars and 319 million jobs for the global economy in 2018. The sector must be managed carefully to turn those numbers into real benefits for communities around the world, she said.

„We must all commit to working together to ensure that tourism contributes to the preservation of nature and the preservation of historical sites and cultural traditions. In this way, the communities connect and promote better understanding and peace”, concluded Princess Dana Firas.