Over the years Cotecno has expanded its experience within the social development sector, paying a growing attention to the importance of safeguarding the world's cultural diversity and of harnessing the opportunities offered by the tourism development for the benefit of local people.

The strengthening of sustainable tourism also corresponds to a contribution to the regional and national economy, thus allowing an improvement of the community living standards, especially in disadvantaged areas.

Experience in this field ranges over a wide spectrum of integrated activities both physical and non-physical; Cotecno conducts researches, studies, projects preparation, works supervision, technical assistance and training. The services provided are mainly addressed to:

• drafting of policies, strategies and action plans for tourism sustainable development purposes, designing of marketing and product development plans of site destinations and preparing identification and feasibility studies as well as environmental, economical and social impact analysis;
  
• strengthening the capacities of public entities (national and local) in the management of cultural heritage including drafting the legislative framework and design of institutional set up;
  
• promoting awareness at local communities level to strengthen their sense of ownership of the assets in their territory and delivering of training for the promotion of local tourism-related activities to valorise the living heritage and to foster income-generating activities;
  
• investigating the historical, socio-economical and territorial features within urban development and integrated plans for tourism development and territorial improvement.
  

Within this framework, Cotecno has implemented several technical assistance projects, among these:

• the prestigious Egyptian Ministry of Tourism funded project “Preparation of National Tourism Strategic Plan for the Arab Republic of Egypt” (2007 - ongoing), which aims at providing strategic guidance to develop tourism sector and convert it into a major engine for promoting sustainable socio-economic growth throughout the country and to protect and preserve Egypt’s peculiar social, cultural and natural heritage;
  
• the Emirate of Qatar/“Implementation studies for the restructuring and modernization of the town of Boutilimit” in Mauritania (2008 - ongoing);
  
• the WB/“Third Tourism Development Programme: Secondary Cities Sustainable Urban Regeneration Study” in Jordan (2004 - 2005);
  
• the WB/“Sustainable Development of the Walled City of Lahore - Cultural Heritage and Tourism” in Pakistan (2004 - 2005);
  
• the WB/“Researches and Studies & Works Follow-up for the Development of Tourism Itineraries in the Fès Medina” in Morocco (2001 - 2007).