Promoting community-led tourism

A network of Scottish community tourism enterprises, SCOTO, officially launched their website this week with a view to guiding tourists to community-led enterprises and sites.

SCOTO is a network of community tourism enterprises located throughout Scotland and led by a team of indviduals who each have extensive and varied experience in community tourism. Their main goal is to establish community owned and managed tourism as a highly respected and distinct sector within the Scottish tourism offer - dedicated to providing high quality and authentic experiences which derive positive benefits for visitors and communities alike.

Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: “Supporting, encouraging and enabling more community-led tourism is a key aim set out in our national tourism strategy Scotland Outlook 2030. The formation of SCOTO is very timely as we recover from the pandemic and the tourism sector starts to get moving again."

The website offers comprehensive information about local projects and explains the benefits of community-led tourism, inviting new visitors to explore them and empowering more communities to establish similar initiatives.

If you're looking to travel and find somewhere unique to visit, you can explore their map of Scotland to discover where you can meet proud and passionate locals and be welcomed into their world. 

The case study section demonstrates how the SCOTO members worked together in their communities to bring their projects to life - you can read all about projects like The Findhorn Village Conservation Company’s Motorhome Stopover , Callander Youth Hostel, or Tiroran Community Forest .

If you're part of a community enterprise interested in community-led tourism, make sure to check how to become a member of SCOTO.