Plovdiv awaits about 2 million tourists in the upcoming year of 2019, the year the city becomes officially the European Capital of Culture.

The forecasts come from the municipal experts of tourism. A big part of the city hotels and venues have already been reserved for the upcoming events for 2019. “The festivals and the possibility of wine tourism make the city really attractive for many foreigners” comments the analyst.

In the year 2016 Plovdiv has had over 800 000 tourists, and almost a million in 2017. Significant growth is expected in 2018 as the second major international wine forum will take place in May. According to the specialized Wine Enthusiast Magazine for 2017, the Thracian Valley, where Plovdiv is located, is in the top three of the best wine tourism destinations.

The data from the Territorial Static Bureau show that tourists from Turkey, Greece, Israel, Spain, Italy and Germany are the most frequent foreign visitors to Plovdiv.

 There is an increasing interest in the city from the Americans, the British and the Russians. More than 60% of the bookings in hotels with four and five stars are made by foreigners. With every passing month the growth in the number of tourists in Plovdiv is becoming a constant figure, the statisticians also report.