LAHORE: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has named Lahore as the Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27. The announcement was made during the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Key Points
- Lahore declared SCO tourism and cultural capital for 2026-27
- SCO summit in Bishkek declares Pakistan’s assumption of SCO presidency this year under the theme “Turning Vision into Action”
- Previous titleholders include Varanasi, Almaty, Qingdao and Cholpon-Ata
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has named Lahore as its Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, giving Pakistan’s historic city a prominent role in promoting tourism and cultural exchange across the bloc.https://t.co/vlnEqgfS1C#Lahore #Tourism #SCO #Culturalcapital… pic.twitter.com/WBBUYAMoOo
— The Diplomatic Insight (@DiplomaticIns) September 2, 2026
Title linked to Pakistan’s SCO presidency
The Tourism and Cultural Capital title has rotated among SCO member states each year since 2022. The title is awarded each year to a city that represents the cultural heritage of the country holding the rotating presidency of the organization. Pakistan is the president this year, and PM Shehbaz Sharif has set the theme of the chairmanship as “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”.
Lahore’s selection fits squarely into that framework. The city is Pakistan’s cultural and historical hub, with centuries of Mughal architecture, culinary tradition, and artistic heritage, making it a natural choice to represent the country during its year at the helm of the organization.
Following in the footsteps of previous host cities
Lahore becomes the latest in a series of cities to bear this designation. The title holder in 2022-23 was Varanasi, India; in 2023-24, Almaty, Kazakhstan; in 2024-25, Qingdao, China; and in 2025-26, Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. All these cities have leveraged their year as titleholder to attract greater attention from across the SCO’s member states, and Lahore now has the same opportunity ahead of it.
A Much-Needed Decision
The actual decision to name it Lahore was not made at the Bishkek summit itself. The decision was already taken in April when the heads of the tourism administrations of the SCO member states met in Bishkek to decide on the year’s designation. Sunday’s announcement in Bishkek was simply a formality of that prior decision at the leader level, giving it visibility at the full Council of Heads of State meeting.
The designation is particularly to promote people-to-people contact and tourism among SCO member states. For Lahore, this means a year of heightened visibility across a bloc that includes major regional powers like China, Russia and India as well as Central Asian states – an opportunity that could translate into real interest from travelers and cultural institutions across the region looking to engage with the city in its year in the spotlight.
