The LEADER Territory of the Local Action Group (GAL) Rural District Barbagia Mandrolisai Gennargentu (BMG)
Consisting of the Union of Municipalities of Barbagia and the Mountain Community of Gennargentu Mandrolisai. The GAL BMG, therefore, includes 19 municipalities, with a total area of 854.30 sq km and a resident population of approximately 22,000 inhabitants: Aritzo, Atzara, Austis, Belvì, Desulo, Gadoni, Gavoi, Lodine, Meana Sardo, Ollolai, Oniferi, Olzai, Ortueri, Ovodda, Sarule, Sorgono, Teti, Tiana, Tonara.
The GAL Rural District BMG, established in 2009, is a participation foundation composed of 22 public members and over 200 private members, representing the main institutional, economic, and social components of the territory. The foundation aims to improve the quality of life and well-being of communities in the historical regions of Barbagia, Mandrolisai, and Gennargentu by enhancing local resources. The main thematic and intervention areas identified by the GAL BMG for the definition of its Local Development Strategy 2014-2022 are the development and innovation of local production chains and systems, social inclusion, and sustainable tourism.
THE OAST PROJECT: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
The project, coordinated by the GAL BMG in partnership with the GAL Sisteron-Buëch (France) and the GAL Kilkenny (Ireland), aims to promote sustainable and active tourism in rural areas of Europe. The specific objective of the project was to enhance and develop the tourist attractiveness of the inland waters of Barbagia, through outdoor sports and water activities, in line with the thematic area "sustainable tourism" chosen in the GAL BMG's PDA. The three territories involved boast a rich and varied natural, landscape, and cultural heritage with strong identity traits and enormous potential for the development of active tourism. However, some problems common to all partners have been highlighted, such as: insufficient enhancement and tourist promotion of inland areas, isolation, the absence of an international network useful for the exchange of good practices, and insufficient diversification, delocalization, deseasonalization, and internationalization of tourist flows. The OAST Project was created to respond to these critical issues, as active tourism and sustainable tourism represent the basis for the revival of territories characterized by enormous problems of depopulation, lack of services, unemployment, and school dropout. The idea, therefore, is to promote forms of sustainable, active, responsible, and experiential tourism, as well as to offer diversified and deseasonalized solutions suitable for a constantly growing number of active tourists. The specific action involved the georeferencing and description, in Italian and English, of 19 GAL BMG itineraries related to the theme of water. The itinerary tracks are available and downloadable, in Gpx format, on these pages and also on the GAL BMG's Wikiloc account.
