Today, Veliko Turnovo is an administrative, cultural, historical and tourist centre of Bulgaria. The city is a geographical and communication center of the Northern Bulgaria and is also a centre of one of the 28 administrative districts of the country. The district of Veliko Turnovo is 4662 sq. km. in size and includes 10 municipalities with 14 towns/cities and 322 villages. The population is about 295 000 people.

The population of the city of Veliko Turnovo alone about 65 000 people, but with the students of “St St Cyril and Methodius” University (second biggest in the country) and the “Vasil Levski” National Military University added, the population increases by about 12 000.

The location, the good climate, the natural resources, historical heritage and preserved architecture, and the preservation and development of the traditional arts and crafts give Veliko Turnovo even better prospects for future development. Veliko Turnovo is an important landmark for Bulgaria, and the statistics show that the city and its region are in the top ten of the most visited tourist destinations in Eastern Europe.

The Information Centre of the European Council (EC) was launched in Veliko Turnovo in 1997, the second in the country, and it works very effectively in establishing international contacts with other countries, members of the EC, as well as developing many programs and projects, financed by European funds.

In 1997 Veliko Turnovo was presented with the "Sustainable Development" Award for Central and Eastern Europe.