SCOTO is a newly established cooperative and company limited by guarantee, which operates on a not for profit basis. SCOTO is available to undertake contracts and provide services relating to community led and community based tourism across Scotland. Our services will benefit individual community and social enterprises, Scotland's individual towns and villages (and their hinterland), groups of communities with shared geography, and strategic partners exploring community led/based tourism at a regional level.

Scotland Outlook 2030 – the national tourism strategy – focuses on responsible tourism for a sustainable future and seeks a bold new approach that will see tourism act positively in the common interest of Scotland's communities. SCOTO works at a grassroots level within communities to achieve this and works closely with business partners to collectively agree on local priorities and ensure the local visitor economy is regenerative and not extractive.

SCOTO provides 1-2-1 mentoring services, audits, and appraisals of current community led/based tourism activity with recommendations, product development support, community-led place branding, marketing and awareness raising, learning exchanges and strategy development with activity plans. 

SCOTO offers expertise in destination-wide collaborations, which bring together what can appear to be disparate communities by exploring areas of common ground, sense of place and visitor offer - all at a grassroots level and then building up. SCOTO has specific skills in bridging between tourism business and community organisations within a destination/community to agree on shared interests and priorities, place brand and propositions.

SCOTO is home to a peer-to-peer network which operates at a grassroots level with regular virtual meetings, WhatsApp chat and social media interaction - which generates invaluable learnings to share and case studies to inspire others.

SCOTO's ethos is focused on ensuring tourism is a force for good within the host community and that the visitor economy derives tangible benefits that address local priority issues - and also helps visitors better understand and appreciate the community's individual sense of place. 

SCOTO has a number of delivery partners within its network who can be called upon to provide specialised and individualised skills and services.

SCOTO would be delighted to explore any potential services or contracts relating to community led and community based tourism - email info@scoto.co.uk