Blue Flag’s history

For more than four decades, Blue Flag has supported environmental management, environmental education, water quality, safety and responsible tourism at beaches, marinas and, more recently, tourism boats around the world.

What began as an environmental initiative in France in 1985 has developed into an internationally recognised programme with a network spanning more than 50 countries across five continents.

The Origins: A Message in a Bottle 

The story of Blue Flag began in France in 1985 with an initiative designed to raise awareness of the fact that marine pollution does not respect national borders.

As part of the initiative, 1,000 students wrote messages that were sealed in bottles and released into the Atlantic Ocean, illustrating how ocean currents can carry pollution across borders.

The initiative used a blue flag featuring a white circle and three waves as its emblem. This became the foundation of the Blue Flag identity and the beginning of a programme increasingly focused on environmental management and education in coastal areas.

From France to Europe

Blue Flag developed rapidly from its French origins into a wider European initiative.

In 1987, during the European Year of the Environment, Blue Flag expanded across Europe, with the first Blue Flag sites awarded in ten European countries.

Environmental criteria were developed for beaches and marinas, covering areas including bathing water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety.

Over time, these criteria and the procedures supporting the Programme continued to develop in response to environmental priorities, experience from participating countries and changes in the management of beaches and marinas.

From Europe to the World

A new chapter began in 2001 when the Blue Flag Programme expanded beyond Europe.

The international network subsequently grew across Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, bringing together National Operators, public authorities, beach and marina managers, tourism operators, environmental organisations and other stakeholders.

The Programme also expanded beyond beaches and marinas to include, in 2016, tourism boats, adapting its criteria to different types of coastal and marine tourism activities.

Today, Blue Flag operates in more than 50 countries across five continents, with more than 5,000 participating beaches, marinas and tourism boats.

More Than 40 Years of Development

Since 1985, the Blue Flag Programme has continued to evolve.

Its criteria and procedures have been periodically reviewed and developed to address areas including bathing water quality, environmental management, waste and resource management, biodiversity, environmental education, safety, services and accessibility.

This evolution reflects Blue Flag's commitment to maintaining relevant requirements for participating sites while responding to changing environmental, social and operational contexts.

From an educational initiative launched in France to an international network operating across five continents, Blue Flag's history has been shaped by cooperation between local communities, National Operators, public authorities, experts, partner organisations and the Foundation for Environmental Education.