Lahore has been selected as the ‘Tourism and Cultural Capital’ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for the year 2026-27, elevating the Pakistani city to the forefront of the organisation’s initiatives aimed at enhancing tourism and cultural ties among member nations.

The decision was made at the 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Bishkek, which was attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan is the President of the SCO this year with Pakistan’s slogan “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”.

The Tourism and Cultural Capital designation rotates annually, with one city every year being granted the honour as a representative of the cultural heritage of the country in the presidency of the organisation. Launched in 2022, the project seeks to foster tourism and enhance people-to-people connection between SCO members.

The final decision was made during a meeting of the chiefs of the tourism administrations of SCO member countries in Bishkek in April.

The Pakistani city is one among previous winners like Varanasi, India (2022-23), Almaty, Kazakhstan (2023-24), Qingdao, China (2024-25) and Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan (2025-26).

It is hoped that the designation will give a boost to Lahore’s visibility as a cultural and tourism hub, and help deepen the collaboration between SCO countries.