Lahore is SCO’s tourism and cultural capital

Islamabad: Pakistan’s cultural hub, Lahore, has been named the Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27 by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The decision was announced at the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Tourism and Cultural Capital title has been annually rotated among SCO member states since 2022 and aims to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among member states while highlighting the cultural heritage of the country holding the organisation’s rotating presidency, a Pakistani daily reported.

Pakistan assumed the SCO presidency this year with Sharif defining the theme of the chairmanship as ‘Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity’. The decision to designate Lahore was taken in April this year, when the heads of tourism administrations of SCO member states met in Bishkek.

Cities that previously held the title include Varanasi in India (2022-23), Almaty in Kazakhstan (2023-24), Qingdao in China (2024-25) and Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan (2025-26).

The Beijing-headquartered SCO, marking its 25th anniversary this year, is a regional grouping founded in 2001 comprising 10 member states, including India. The summit was held in Bishkek under the chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan.