For every community in Scotland to be able to secure added value from tourism
For SCOTO, which is working at a grassroots level across Scotland, community tourism is where a community enterprise or a geographic community is directly involved in shaping and managing the tourism offers in their area and ensuring tourism derives tangible benefits locally.
Historically many communities have felt that tourism happens to them rather than with them but there is a growing sense that tourism can be a force for good.
Individuals and communities across Scotland have access to at least six online gatherings per annum, showcasing best practices and support networking. SCOTO also hosts an annual conference with learning exchange visits.
SCOTO provides free access to a bank of online resources specifically tailored to community led tourism initiatives. This includes showcasing best practice case studies, providing a community led tourism themed resource page and signposts to partner resources.
Individual communities and community led tourism enterprises will have access to small grant and other support programmes which provide resources to progress specific activity – e.g. professional blogs, promotional campaigns, facilitated workshops and learning exchanges
SCOTO will act as a conduit for the voice of community led tourism on national, regional and local forums, advisory groups and networks. This is to ensure the community led tourism sector has a voice when relevant strategy, policy and delivery plans are being considered and developed.
Individual community led tourism enterprises will be able to be profiled and promoted on SCOTO’s visitor facing website, www.belocal.scot and be part of funded content curation and campaign activity targeted at ethical travellers from the UK and overseas.
Individual communities and community led tourism enterprises will benefit from the availability of data and intelligence which demonstrates the social and economic value of community led tourism in Scotland and which will allow proper analysis of gaps and opportunities and provide evidence to support the further development of community led tourism across Scotland and individual projects and initiatives.
Individual communities and community led tourism enterprises will either have access to services available from SCOTO or benefit from contracts and services being progressed by SCOTO for strategic partners such as (but not limited to) local authorities, Enterprise Agencies and tourism organisations.
With Scotland aiming to rebuild from the effects of Covid-19, and with demand for staycations increasing, there is now – more than ever – an opportunity and a need to engage and empower local communities, and to ensure that the benefits that flow from tourism are enjoyed more widely.
Over 85 individuals took part in the CLT programme. Three outcomes were evident:
a) Most participants did not have a background in tourism and gained massively from better understanding the sector and how it operates on many levels.
b) Recognition that Community Tourism is a real thing that conscious consumers seek out and is exceptionally well aligned to the national tourism strategy ‘Scotland Outlook 2030’ – yet it is not represented by existing tourism forums or presented to visitors as a distinct experience in its own right.
c) Creating a forum where participants could share new ideas and innovations made a tangible difference back in their respective local community.
In 2021 CLT course leader Carron Tobin, was successful in securing a £60k grant from the Scottish Government’s Tourism Leadership & Recovery Fund to progress Russell’s idea – and establish SCOTO.
This 6-month grant was specifically targeted at formally establishing SCOTO as a legal entity, developing a digital presence for engagement between members and with visitors, creating the much-needed networking forum for CLT practitioners, establishing a social media presence and devising a brand marque to raise visitor awareness of Community Tourism enterprises across Scotland. Our first year has exceeded all expectations! Check out the highlights of our impact here.
Moray
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
Have a look at our first year of activity to gain insight into the achievements, reach, and impact of this growing network:
