Deputy Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva participated in the 10th Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The forum is dedicated to the challenges facing the aviation and tourism sectors and their involvement in the development of sustainable tourism. The initiative is supported by Arab governments and held in conjunction with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Authority.

On behalf of the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism, Deputy Minister Georgieva offered a special welcome to the guests and delegates at the summit.

'The success of the Middle East countries in the field of innovation and their vision for sustainability in the sector is undeniable, and aviation and tourism should work together hand in hand in building the bridge that crosses borders and connects nations,' Deputy Minister Irena Georgieva underlined in her address.

She said passenger transport, which includes airlines and airports, trains, cruises and other modes of travel, is part of the overall tourism ecosystem and one of the essential factors for successful tourism development of regions. 'The success of the transport sector and of airlines in particular means success for tourism, as the reverse is also true. Therefore, the continuation of our active joint work is of utmost importance,' the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Irena Georgieva noted that Bulgaria is famous for its hospitality and high quality services, which make our country an attractive place for guests from all over the world. The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria has had a successful dialogue with representatives of transport associations, individual carriers and airport operators and other stakeholders in recent years, discussing current issues and future development opportunities to improve connectivity, because good connectivity means stability. Bulgaria is positioning itself as a good logistics hub that has great potential for strategic partnerships with third countries. The representative of the Ministry of Tourism at the forum recalled that Bulgaria has a great infrastructure in terms of its connectivity to any point in Europe. However, work can always be done to improve the quality of tourism services, increase passenger traffic and the frequency of flights.

Deputy Minister Irena Georgieva stressed that Bulgaria has a great desire to develop the market for inbound tourism among the Middle East countries, and the opportunities we offer as a year-round destination are many and more joint work in this direction is needed.

to promote Bulgaria as a year-round destination that has gathered in its palm the whole palette of seasons and experiences necessary for top quality tourism. We offer great opportunities for cultural, spa, eco and gastronomic tourism. 'Bulgaria is a small country, but we are extremely proud of our rich cultural heritage, which is the third largest in Europe. Sustainable cultural tourism is a vital part of regional and macro-regional development strategies. Culture is both a driver and a prerequisite for sustainable development. All this is in line with Bulgaria's aspiration to become a competitive destination and an innovative example of sustainable tourism,' Irena Georgieva said during the 10th summit in Ras Al Khaimah.

For the first time, the event showed how carbon emissions are calculated and discussed practices to offset them, taking a proactive approach to climate-related topics.