The holy city of Varanasi showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages will be declared the first Cultural and Tourism Capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The Beijing-headquartered Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an eight-member economic and security alliance comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
Varanasi will become the Cultural and Tourism Capital of the SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.
India hosted the Head of the Government of the SCO meet in 2020. Kazakhstan has announced a visa-free policy for tourists from India and other countries, he said, adding that the SCO members have rich resources with respect to tourism which should be explored.