The increase in the number of anniversaries of Russian cities in recent years has attracted the attention of researchers to the so-called anniversary effects, which include an increase in the brand awareness of the city and, as a result, an increase in its tourist attractiveness. At the same time, each city has its own special tourism potential, which is reflected in the expected anniversary effects. The article highlights the problem of forming and developing the tourist attractiveness of an industrial city in the context of organizing and holding anniversary events using the example of the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in the Republic of Tatarstan. The purpose of the work is to study the tourist potential of an industrial city in order to identify ways to increase its tourist attractiveness using the example of the upcoming celebration of the 400th anniversary of the city of Naberezhnye Chelny. The research is based on a combination of theoretical and comparative analysis, the theory of competitiveness of the city and the methodology of territorial tourist zoning. The risks of anniversary effects of industrial single-industry towns, whose tourism potential is significantly reduced compared to regional centers or cities with rich historical and cultural heritage, have been identified. The directions of increasing the tourist attractiveness of an industrial single-industry town in the context of the anniversary celebration are outlined. They are related to the development of event and industrial tourism, provided that the issue of transport accessibility of the city is resolved, a program for the development of urban tourism is developed with the involvement of all actors in its implementation, and a marketing strategy for promoting tourism products.