During the last two years Plovdiv has been successfully developing as a leading destination for cultural, historical and events tourism in the country. This is the conclusion of a massive research focused on 4 800 individual tourists and 944 organized tourist groups. The results show a significant increase of incomes by the steam of tourists and the industries connected. Plovdiv attracts more and more solvent tourists. This fact has been confirmed by the ques-tionnaires conducted with individual tourists by “Vizantia International”. The Old Town holds the first place for the number of visitors in the tourist sites in Plovdiv, which itself is being visited by over 800 000 tourists per annum. 
The extension of the overall stay of foreign visitors for the period January – July 2014/2015 with over 25% - up to 2,2 nights on average reveals the positive co-operation with the Bulgarian and foreign tour-operators, who have extended the stay in Plovdiv in their programs. This also proves the effectiveness of the campaigns for advertising the city as a tourist destination, including the huge number of publications in tourist editions all around the globe.
In national aspect, Plovdiv has proven to make the most of its resources for cultural, sports and weekend international tourism significantly more than other cities which are popular tourist destinations. The city continues being a leader in the duration of accommodation compared to other cities in Bulgaria. According to the data for the first seven months of this year Plovdiv marks 5.5% increase compared to the same period last year, followed by Sofia with 5.5% increase. 
The new policy of the Municipality of Plovdiv to promote the Cultural calendar for a few months ahead has proven to be successful. The cultural tourism in the city is remarkable for its sustainability in time and the increasing incomes from visiting cultural events and sites. The effective market strategies and the international announcement of Plovdiv as European Capital of Culture 2019, as well as one of the TOP destinations of Lonely Planet for 2015, ensure potential for sustainable development during the next seasons.
The Municipality of Plovdiv will continue to support the popularization of Plovdiv as an attractive tourist city, including the participation in International markets and presentations.  The priority of the administration is to keep this tendency in order to present the city as a must-visit tourist destination on the international markets and attract even more visitors, who maximize their visitations of the tourist sites in the city. The development of the tourism and the incomes from accommodations are expected to increase even more and reach sustainability. The Municipality continues to invest in new tourist products every year. Only a few weeks ago it started promoting the first Wine route in the country. Until the end of the year two more tourists sites will be open – the fully repaired Natural Science museum with its new 3D planetarium and a new part of the Roman Stadium revealed on the Main Street. At the moment a hard work is being done for the new Zoo, exposing the Bishop’s Basilica and the archaeological research of the Ancient Forum at the Central Square.