Shanghai Cooperation Organisation names Lahore as its ‘Tourism and Cultural capital’
BISHKEK: The city of 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 the Kyrgyz capital, which was attended by PM Shehbaz Sharif. The title of Tourism and Cultural Capital has been rotated annually among SCO member states since 2022, and the…
The city of Lahore has been designated as the Tourism and Cultural Capital for the years 2026-27 by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This announcement was made at the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was present. The title rotates annually among the SCO member states since 2022, with the aim of highlighting a city that represents the cultural heritage of the country holding the rotating presidency of the organisation.
Pakistan assumed the SCO presidency this year, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defining the theme of the chairmanship as 'Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity'. In the past, cities such as Varanasi, India (2022-23), Almaty, Kazakhstan (2023-24), Qingdao, China (2024-25), and Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan (2025-26) have held the title.
The decision to select Lahore as the tourism and cultural capital was made in April 2026 during a meeting of SCO tourism administrators in Bishkek. The purpose of this designation is to foster people-to-people contacts and promote tourism among the member states.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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