A delegation from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman conducted a working visit on October 21 to the Mountain Villages network, with the aim of observing on-the-ground projects for tourism development based on local identity, the valorization of the landscape, and community dynamism, as disclosed in a press release.
According to the same source, the initiative, promoted within the scope of a capacity-building and international exchange action, counted on the coordination of the Horwath HTL consulting firm. The governance and development model promoted by the Mountain Villages was highlighted throughout the itinerary as an excellent international practice of networked tourism, demonstrating how tradition, innovation, and the involvement of local communities can be articulated to create differentiated tourism proposals.
The itinerary began in the municipality of Manteigas with a stop at the Burel Factory, an emblematic project of industrial regeneration that combines high value-added production with the preservation of the collective memory linked to the shepherding supply chain, more specifically in its relation to wool. The delegation then proceeded to the Mountain Village of Cortes do Meio (Covilhã), recognized as the capital of natural pools, where the harmonious way in which natural heritage and the relationship with the landscape are put at the service of tourism was highlighted.
The journey culminated in the Mountain Village of Alcongosta (Fundão), at the foot of the Serra da Gardunha, with visits to the Casa da Cereja, dedicated to the region’s most iconic locally produced product, and to the Casa da Ponte Chocolataria Artesanal, an example of local entrepreneurship that combines tradition and gastronomic innovation.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Mountain Villages Network, Célia Gonçalves: “It is a great pride to see the work of this network recognized by an international delegation and to understand how our territory, despite adversities, continues to reinvent itself, keeping its living identity and transforming the landscape and cultural heritage into factors of attractiveness and future.”
This exchange action reinforces the positioning of the Mountain Villages as a reference ecosystem in inland tourism, capable of inspiring international strategies for sustainable development and heritage preservation.
