Do you feel tourism just happens to your community?
Are you feeling overwhelmed by tourism?
Do you feel tourism just passes you by – yet your community has a lot to offer?
Why not take time to
Could tourism help your community become an even better place to live, work and visit?
Find out more about our SCOTO Press Pause® facilitated workshop and action plan initiative, which brings business and community interests together to consider what’s working, what’s not working and what could be done better/differently in your community.
The Press Pause® approach was developed initially through a partnership with the North Highland Initiative in the summer of 2023.
During this pilot phase further Press Pause® initiatives were developed with the Social Enterprise Academy in 2023/24 through their Imagining New Futures Together programme, funded by the National Lottery Communities Fund. These took place in Glen Urquhart, Langholm, Colmonell, Girvan and Selkirk and the Valleys.
SCOTO also supported self-funded communities in Upper Nithsdale, Braemar and Gorebridge in 2024, and has since supported Strathard, Callander, Dunkeld and Birnam.
The Kintyre Way SCIO appointed SCOTO to develop a community led operational plan for the long distance route which was built on the findings of nine Press Pause ® workshops in the communities on the peninsula and on Gigha in October 2024.
Early in 2024 ARIA (Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition Fund) commissioned SCOTO to support three communities within three different Ayrshire Valleys in North, South, and East Ayrshire in 2024 – Stinchar Valley, Loudoun Valley and Garnock Valley. ARIA also commissioned an audit of community tourism in Ayrshire.
ARIA have since commissioned SCOTO to deliver Press Pause initiatives in Muirkirk, Dalmellington, Whiting Bay on Arran, the Isle of Cumbrae, Auchinleck, West Kilbride, Dailly and nine communities in North Carrick. These took place in The North Carrick Initiative has enabled a five year Strategic Framework for Community Led Tourism to be developed with additional funding support from North Carrick Community Benefit Company.
In Fife SCOTO developed a partnership with the Fife Pilgrim Way Partnership and was appointed by Fife Council’s climate action team to progress five Press Pause initiatives in Dunfermline, Markinch, Ceres and St Andrews on the route and also in Kirkcaldy. Additional council funding was sourced to support Culross in 2026.
In 2025 following the demise of Visit Moray Speyside BID SCOTO was commissioned by Moray Council to develop the next Tourism Strategy for the region. This was developed using SCOTO’s Press Pause Methodology with seven workshops taking place in Forres, Lossiemouth, Buckie, Elgin, Keith, Aderlour and Tomintoul.
After SCOTO presented at the Good Organisation’s community tourism event in York in 2025, North York Moors National Park appointed SCOTO to deliver Press Pause® in three rural communities – Staithes, Runswick Bay and Hinderwell in 2026.
IN 2025 DTAS COSS agreed to fund a pilot Press Pause® with Killin & Ardoenaig Community Development Trust to explore how this approach can help communities when considering asset transfers and this took place in 2026.
Roll Out Of Press Pause® Across Scotland
By the end of May 2026, SCOTO has delivered over 60 Press Pause® initiatives supporting
over 80 communities. Every community is different and every report has different ideas and
recommendations.
Updated May 2026
What is Press Pause®?
SCOTO has developed a Press Pause® programme for geographic communities across Scotland to take time out to consider what is working, what is not working and what could be done better/differently in their communities.
The programme focuses on action and solutions, and seeks to help each and every community recalibrate how tourism is delivered and measured locally.
By taking time to ‘Press Pause®’ a community can collectively review what is happening and look at realistic changes which bring the community’s interests and priority needs to the fore and support local business prosperity.
Press Pause® revolves around a half day facilitated workshop in a local venue, engaging both business and community interests in collective discussions. It is not a public meeting.
Key outcomes will be a shared understanding of what is and isn’t working and what could be done differently or better to help make the community a better place to live, work and visit. An easy to read destination competency appraisal will be produced and place branding will be considered in detail from a local perspective. SCOTO then do the heavy lifting and develop a number of recommendations which are refined into a prioritised activity plan – with early actions highlighted.
The process is owned by the local community and led either by a community organisation (eg development trust, business association or community council) or a dedicated group with representatives from a number of local groups.
At its heart Press Pause® is seeking to help communities recalibrate how tourism is delivered and measured locally to ensure there is a focus on positive impacts and wellbeing.
Janet Martin Craft Town Scotland West Kilbride, 2026
“SCOTOs workshop has been the most concise look at our Town and its identity. The Press Pause® workshop allowed a lot of disparate groups to come together and appreciate each other's individual perspective. It gave us the opportunity to acknowledge our past successes and to look forward to next developments.
The Press Pause® report has been the sharpest, objective view of our Town’s presence and identity. We now have renewed motivation to present what we collectively have to offer visitors. Overall we have renewed and energised spirit of collaboration, which should benefit our town of West Kilbride.”
Angela Williams, Development Manager, Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, Langholm
"Undertaking the Press Pause® workshop was invaluable. Learnt so much, even about things you thought you knew about locally as different folk had a different perspective.
It also meant you could discuss ideas and thoughts in a ‘safe setting’ and see whether they were practical - and what you would need to do to make them become a reality.
Having an independent but knowledgeable coordinator was hugely helpful to question long held perceptions and pull in experience from elsewhere."
What happens?
The Press Pause® workshop and action plan will look at:
- >Exploring different perspectives of what is working and what is not working and what could be done better or differently
- >Defining the destination from a local and visitor perspective
- >Consideration of competitors and comparators to learn from
- > The local visitor profile – past, present and future – what type of visitors would you like to see?
- > Destination competence appraisal – collective consideration of 15 different criteria
- > Place Branding – what distinguishes your community from others?
- > Community led visitor propositions and product development
- > Recalibrating how tourism is measured locally
- > Next steps
What's the cost?
The cost for Press Pause® is £4545 excl. vat (£5454 incl. VAT) plus expenses* for a village-sized community and £6060 excl. VAT (£7272 incl. VAT) plus expenses* for a town or urban neighbourhood.
We can quote for an area or multiple communities' Press Pause work.
This includes:
- > Initial meeting to scope out delivery details
- > Set up and facilitation of the in-person half-day workshop
- > Development of bespoke recommendations for your community, including early actions and longer-term initiatives.
- > A detailed, easy-read Press Pause® document with an agreed prioritised activity plan.
- > A follow up online meeting to review and refine the report and activity plan.
- > An engaging summary of the key recommendations for local and wider circulation.
* Expenses would be venue hire and catering, plus travel, overnight and subsistence for the facilitator if needed. SCOTO is now VAT registered Before submitting any funding bids please reach out for an accurate quote and to secure our commitment on availability.
What's next?
What to know more about Press Pause® and how it can help your community/area?
Provide some details below and our Executive Director Carron will reach out to you to explore further.
Programme support for Press Pause® is becoming available in some geographic areas and there are also local funds in most parts of Scotland which could support this type of initiative in your community/area. SCOTO can provide advice on securing funding.
Please remember, SCOTO operates as a self-funded network, with SCOTO Consulting serving as our main source of revenue. A minimum of 20% of all fees directly supports the operation of the SCOTO Network and the development of valuable resources.
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