Blue Flag’s history
For nearly four decades, the Blue Flag has been a symbol of excellence in environmental management, safety, and sustainable tourism. What began as a visionary initiative in France in 1985 has grown into a globally recognized sustainability label, inspiring communities, governments, and the tourism industry to protect our natural marine and coastal environments.
The Origins: A Message in a Bottle
In 1985, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) France launched a unique project to demonstrate how pollution knows no borders. 1,000 students wrote letters, sealed them in bottles, and released them into the Mid-Atlantic Ocean to track how currents spread pollution worldwide. The project’s emblem—a blue flag with a white circle and three waves—soon became the symbol of a greater mission: the preservation of coastal and marine environments.
From a Concept to a Global Ecolabel
As concern for marine pollution grew, FEE developed a set of environmental criteria for beaches and marinas, focusing on water quality, safety, and environmental education. Recognizing the potential of the Blue Flag as a tool for policy implementation, the EU and FEEE partnered to create a voluntary certification scheme aligned with the European Union's Bathing Water Directive. In 1987, the first Blue Flag sites were awarded across ten European countries.
A Growing International Movement
Starting in 2001, the Blue Flag programme expanded beyond Europe, becoming a driving force for sustainable coastal tourism worldwide. Today, the Blue Flag is proudly awarded to more than 5,000 sites, in more than 50 countries across five continents, setting the standard for clean, safe, and responsibly managed beaches, marinas, and tourism boats.
As the world faces new challenges in its transition towards sustainability, the Blue Flag continues to evolve and lead the way in setting higher standards for tourism and recreation. With its strong legacy of environmental stewardship and international collaboration, the Blue Flag remains a beacon of sustainability for present and future generations.
“A Blue Flag beach, marina or boating operator is not only a place to give a sense of pride to the community and to attract tourism, but it also promotes environmental issues and awareness”
We work hard...
to be the leading programme promoting sound environmental education and sustainable management of beaches, marinas and boating operators worldwide.
Our mission is to...
promote and participate in environmental education programmes for the users of beaches, marinas and boating operators;
implement sound safety and environmental management systems;
monitor environmental conditions to reduce the impact of human activity at the beaches, at the marinas and by boating operators;
commit to partnerships and collaborative action to promote the sustainable development of tourism.
Our story started in 1987...
Meet Jan Eriksen, our former FEE President, and let him take you back to the creation of the Blue Flag programme:
