Lahore has been named the Tourism and Cultural Capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for 2026-27. The decision was announced during the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended.
The SCO has rotated the Tourism and Cultural Capital title annually among its member states since 2022. The designation highlights a city that represents the cultural heritage of the country holding the organisation’s rotating presidency.
Pakistan assumed the SCO presidency this year, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif setting the theme of the chairmanship as “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”
Previous cities to hold the title include Varanasi, India, in 2022-23; Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2023-24; Qingdao, China, in 2024-25; and Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, in 2025-26.
The decision to designate Lahore was taken in April when heads of tourism administrations from SCO member states met in Bishkek. The designation aims to showcase Lahore’s cultural heritage while promoting tourism and people-to-people contacts among SCO member states.
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