SCOTO Community Tourism Network event

Scotland’s communities are being invited to press pause and rethink how tourism plays out in their local area at the second National Community Tourism Gathering being staged by SCOTO, Scotland’s recently established Community Tourism Network.

Taking place in Dumfries, this two-day event will bring participants together from across Scotland and further afield to consider how tourism can be recalibrated to deliver for communities and the environment first.

SCOTO held its first conference in Kingussie in March 2023 with over 100 participants. This year the conference has been made possible with the support of the South of Scotland Enterprise, and the learning exchanges on day two are being funded by the Scottish Community Tourism Alliance with bursaries available for travel and accommodation costs for community organisations.

SCOTO’s second National Gathering takes place in Dumfries on Thursday 29 February and Friday 1 March.

About the event

Day one

On the first day at the Cairndale Hotel, participants will engage in talks, discussion groups and presentations on how individual communities have embraced tourism for their benefit and how they have tackled local pressures and impacts.

They will hear from local initiatives, including the Wigtown Book Festival, Spring Fling, The Stove and the Whithorn Way. They will also hear different perspectives on community tourism, including a talk from the Royal Society of Edinburgh who are shining a light on the pivotal role of the third sector in addressing societal challenges, fostering community well being and its contribution to the economy.

Wake-up workshops will be jointly delivered with the UNESCO Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere.

Day two

Following an informal supper with entertainment from Mostly Ghostly, the second day has six optional learning journeys exploring community initiatives in and around Dumfries.

Choices will include visiting and meeting the teams at the Devil’s Porridge Museum in Annan, The Moffat Dark Skies Observatory, Crawick Multiverse near Sanquhar, The Old School in Thornhill, Loch Arthur Farm Shop and Café, and The Usual Place in Dumfries.