Lahore selected as SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27
Dhaka: Lahore has been
chosen as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Tourism and Cultural
Capital for 2026-27, placing the Pakistani city at the center of the bloc’s
efforts to strengthen tourism and cultural exchanges.
The announcement came during
the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek,
attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan is holding the
SCO presidency this year under the theme “Turning Vision into Action:
Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”
The Tourism and Cultural
Capital designation is awarded on a rotating basis each year to a city
representing the cultural heritage of the country holding the organization’s
presidency. The initiative, introduced in 2022, aims to encourage tourism and
greater people-to-people interaction among SCO members.
Lahore’s selection was
formally decided in April during a meeting of tourism administration chiefs
from SCO member states in Bishkek.
The Pakistani city joins
a list of previous titleholders that includes Varanasi, India, for 2022-23;
Almaty, Kazakhstan, for 2023-24; Qingdao, China, for 2024-25; and Cholpon-Ata,
Kyrgyzstan, for 2025-26.
The designation is expected to provide Lahore with greater visibility as a cultural and tourism destination while supporting closer ties among SCO countries.
