1st INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE FOR
WORLD HERITAGE SITES – SARDINIA

Olbia, 17th – 20th June 2026

The port city of Olbia, main tourist destination in Northern Sardinia, will host the first edition of the BISPM – International Exchange for World Heritage Sites Sardinia, scheduled for June 17th to 20th, 2026.

The event intends to contribute to promoting the rich UNESCO heritage of the Sardinia Region which includes tangible cultural assets such as the Nuragic complex of Barumini and the Domus de Janas, the latest addition to the World Heritage List in 2025; intangible assets such as the Canto a Tenore and the Faradda de li Candareri in Sassari; and the MAB biosphere reserve in Tepilora Park.

The International Exchange for World Heritage Sites Sardinia is organized by M&C Marketing Consulting agency, in collaboration with the Sardinia Region. Following the success of the three past editions of the Exchange in Veneto Region, the experience moves to the island, where the Department of Tourism of the Sardinia Region has long been working to develop a slow tourism model capable of fostering authentic and sustainable experiences throughout the region. The aim is to enable visitors to discover a different Sardinia, its intimate landscapes and vibrant identities. In this context, World Heritage Sites represent not only an opportunity to enrich a trip to Sardinia, but above all an opportunity to discover and understand the island’s ancient culture.

The BISPM will therefore be an opportunity to strengthen the positioning of “Destination Sardinia” at the heart of European cultural tourism, enhancing authenticity, innovation, and identity in order to reduce seasonality of tourism in the region.

The usual format of the Exchange is confirmed with the buy UNESCO b2b workshop reserved for tourism operators and hosted in the Archeological Museum of Olbia, a venue symbolic for the history and the traditions of the island. Here about 40 selected Italian and foreign buyers will get a direct and concrete insight into the tourism offer of Sardinian operators and suppliers of accommodation, activities, services, tours, meetings or events, with a specific focus on UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Hosted buyers will partiipate in an the educational tour designed for them to familiarize with the destination and learn more about it. They will explore some of the Domus de Janas located in Northern Sardinia, a common thread running through the educational programme to discover a multifaceted region rich in landscape, architectural, artistic, and cultural excellence.

There will also be an opportunity for discussion and in-depth analysis of the relationship between tourism and UNESCO, involving institutions, experts, and industry professionals.

The Exchange enjoys the patronage and support of the Sardinia Region, and is organized in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Sassari.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF OLBIA 

The Archaeological Museum of Olbia, located on the little islands of Peddone, is housed in a modern building designed by architect Giovanni Maciocco in the 1980s. Its shape evokes the image of a moored ship, reflecting both its urban-maritime setting and Olbia’s important role as a port city in Sardinia’s history.

The museum traces the history of the ancient city and its surrounding area, from prehistory to the 19th century, with particular emphasis on the Phoenician, Greek, Punic, and Roman periods of the urban and port area, the richest in historical and archaeological evidence.

Highlight of the exibition are the Roman and medieval wrecks discovered during the excavation of the ancient port, corresponding to the waterfront of the current historic center.

Olbia is the only city in Sardinia that was inhabited by the ancient Greeks, between 630 and 520 BC. Olbia, meaning “happy” is the name they gave to the city, in relation to the extraordinary opportunities that the site offered for human settlement, and written in capital Greek characters it was adopted as the name and logo of the Museum.