International announcement of Blue Flag awarded sites - Northern Hemisphere 2026 season
The first Blue Flag International Jury meeting of 2026 took place this past April and we’re proud to announce that new sites and countries have received the Blue Flag award for the upcoming season in the Northern Hemisphere.
A global total of 5274 sites awarded in 2026 (4371 beaches, 745 marinas, and 158 tourism boats) across 53 countries.
We would like to also congratulate the upcoming winners of the Good Practice competition for the Northern Hemisphere 2026 International Evaluation. The final ranking will be published next week.
Once again, Blue Flag International thanks its valuable institutional partners EBI, EEA, ENAT, EUCC, ICLEI, ICOMIA, ILS, UNEP, UNESCO, UN Tourism, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, CitiesWithNature, Climate Service Center Germany - GERICS, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, University of Aberdeen, IUCN and WCA for sharing their expertise.
International announcement of Blue Flag Awarded sites - Southern Hemisphere 2025/2026 season
The second Blue Flag International Jury meeting of 2025 took place this past September, and we’re proud to announce that 21 new sites have received the Blue Flag award for the upcoming season in the Southern Hemisphere.
These sites join the previously awarded beaches, marinas, and tourism boats awarded by the International Jury in the Northern Hemisphere round that took place in April, for a total of 5216 sites awarded in 2025 (4323 beaches, 738 marinas, and 155 tourism boats) in 51 countries.
We would like to also congratulate the winners of the Best Practice competition for the Southern Hemisphere 2025/2026 International Evaluation. The final ranking is published here.
Once again, Blue Flag International thanks its valuable institutional partners EEA, ENAT, EUCC, ICLEI, ICOMIA, ILS, UNEP, UNESCO, UN Tourism, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, CitiesWithNature, Climate Service Center Germany - GERICS, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, University of Aberdeen, IUCN and WCA for sharing their expertise.
TÜRÇEV's and Blue Flag’s 30th Anniversary in Türkiye
Between 7th and 10th November 2023, one of our leading member organisation TÜRÇEV held a national event in honor of the 30th anniversary of the organisation and Blue Flag in Türkiye in Kocaeli, Turkiye with the support of the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality which is having nine Blue Flag beaches within the area of a metropolitan city.
During the Blue Flag 30th-year event, an International Panel discussion featured speakers from FEE Global (Johann Durand), FEE Spain-ADEAC (Virginia Yuste Abad), FEE Greece-HSPN (Dareia-Nefeli Vourdoumpa), and FEE Turkiye-TURCEV (Almila Kindan Cebbari). Following this, significant addresses were delivered by key representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.
The schedule included presentations showcasing best practices from coastal municipalities and local associations relating to Blue Flag criteria and the responsibilities of local supervisors. The attendees were representatives from 50 diverse coastal municipalities, including beach managers.
Among these presentations, two notable best practices were highlighted from Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. These included the monumental Izmit Bay Mud Removal Project area and the Ormanya Biodiversity Reserve and Educational Natural Life Park, representing significant environmental renovation and conservation efforts within the Turkish Republic.
The event included a field trip to a Mud Removal Project taking place in Kocaeli Municipality, read more here:
International announcement of Blue Flag Awarded sites - Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 season
The second Blue Flag International Jury meeting of 2023 took place this past September, and we’re proud to announce that 193 sites from 11 countries have received the Blue Flag award for the upcoming season in the Southern Hemisphere.
These sites join the previously awarded beaches, marinas, and tourism boats awarded by the International Jury in the Northern Hemisphere round that took place in April, for a total of 5038 sites awarded in 2023 (4205 beaches, 711 marinas, and 122 tourism boats).
We would like to also congratulate the winners of the Best Practice competition for the Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 International Evaluation. The final ranking is published below.
For the category “Accessibility / Access for all”, the ranking is as follows:
The Paradisus brand, managing awarded Blue Flag beaches “El Cortecito” and “Bávaro”, implemented am inclusion program, which gives work opportunities to people with hearing, visual or motor disabilities as well as elderly disabled people. The program seeks to incorporate people with disabilities in all areas of the brands operations. Paradisus also conducts sensitisation dynamics with the staff to create an environment conducive to their integration, such as sign language formations.
© Bávaro Paradisus Palma Real (Dominican Republic)
As part of a campaign of the presidency of the Dominican Republic on accessible tourism in the country, a series of informative videos were recorded. These highlight the importance of Blue Flag Beaches for the establishment of accessible tourism destinations. A recording team accompanied the Blue Flag National Jury, in order to illustrate that tourism destinations in the Dominican Republic are increasingly friendly for the transfer, movement, and enjoyment of people with disabilities.
© IDARD
In Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil), the site managers wish to give the possibility for people with impairments or disabilities to enjoy their experience at the beach with the adequate equipment, from the parking to the water. Amphibious wheelchairs and a bamboo ramp are available and allow a safe and accessible sea bath. The lifeguards offer their help to the beach users wishing to access the water. The municipality also provides special parking spots close to the beach facilities, as well as accessible toilets and showers.
© Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil)
These efforts collectively demonstrate a commitment to fostering accessibility and ensuring that everyone can enjoy beach destinations.
Blue Flag in Italy - Technical kick off meeting for the 2024 season
The preparations for the Blue Flag application, evaluation, and implementation procedures for year 2024 have officially commenced in Italy.
A technical meeting organised by FEE Italia, implementing “Bandiera Blu” is held every year at the end of October to mark the beginning of the new Blue Flag year.
The event sees the participation of both municipalities that have already obtained the Blue Flag award, and of those that are in the process of adopting sustainability measures according to the continuous improvement framework of the Blue Flag programme.
Representatives of FEE Italia presenting key information about the programme´s implementation in Italy for the 2024 Blue Flag season.
The technical meeting was hosted in the premises of the Lazio regional authority, with the attendance of over 300 representatives from various municipal administrations.
The agenda of the meeting covered a variety of aspects related to the implementaiton of the Blue Flag programme in Italy, and introduced updates for the year 2024.
This year's primary focus was centered on the theme of accessibility in tourism, with valuable input from ENAT (European Network for Accessible Tourism), one of the Institutional Partners of the Blue Flag programme, whose representatives sit in the International Jury.
An overview of the participants in the meeting, consisting mainly of representatives from awarded municipalities and site managers in charge of the local implementation of the Blue Flag programme in Italy.
Furthermore, the Blue Flag Application Form developed by FEE Italia for the upcoming season now includes a new guideline criterion aimed at promoting local efforts for the establishment and improvement of renewable energy communities. This is an important environmental development addressing carbon emissions via the implementation of climate mitigation measures.
Pick a Pier sees surge in Blue Flag marina sign ups
Pick a Pier, founded in 2017 by a team of passionate boating enthusiasts using technology solutions to connect boaters and marinas, has gained over 15 Blue Flag marina-sign ups to their AI-driven platform in 2022, offering hundreds of marinas on their platforms.
Marinas from across Europe have signed up to the Pick a Pier platform, including Blue Flag Italian-based Marina degli Aregai, Port de Saint-Cyprien from France, the Spanish Club Náutico de Águilas, and many others across the continent.
Pick a Pier’s digital transformation of the recreational boating industry is generating actionable data that helps get a clearer picture of boating’s impact on the environment. They use machine learning to monitor sailing traffic in real-time, and leverage user-generated input to understand and predict when, where and how people are sailing. They also optimise the utilisation of the existing berth supply so that marinas can do more with the resources they have, while protecting the ocean. Furthermore, in partnership with Blue Flag, Pick a Pier is asking new boaters to take the Sustainable Boating Pledge and adhere to eco-friendly practices at sea and on-shore.
Pick a Pier also launched an exclusive boater loyalty program - Popeye® Sail Club, the most advanced, rewarding and sustainable boating club. With a club membership, boaters earn points for online berth reservation and for reporting that their own berth will be vacant. They can redeem these points for discounts on future reservations through Pick a Pier. The earlier boaters take action, the more they earn points and discounts. Popeye® Sail Club promotes sustainable sailing, and allows marinas to reward their annual berth holders with best-in-class incentives at no additional cost. An additional benefit of the Pick a Pier platform for marinas is the inclusive payment service that makes the lives of both boaters and marina staff easier and enables the marinas to provide fast and smooth service.
Pick a Pier’s CEO Idan Cohen comments:
“Our mission is to make boating more accessible, convenient, and sustainable. Marinas using Pick a Pier are able to offer an increased level of customer communications and service, resulting in maximised profitability. It also allows Marinas to provide boaters with quick responses, excellent customer service and easy access to berthing.
We are excited to have new marinas onboard with Pick a Pier and know they will instantly benefit from optimised operations and unlocking berths to accommodate boaters. By joining Pick a Pier, these marinas have access to boaters and berth holders in real-time using our intuitive platform that provides a new level of transparency, communication, and profitability.”
The Pick a Pier platform is the innovative tool marinas need to make the most of their resources and embrace environmentally-minded business practices while providing a simple and effective option for boaters to plan their voyages.
About Pick a Pier
Pick a Pier was founded in 2017 to make sailing more accessible, enable boaters to get everywhere, and connect boaters worldwide. Optimising the use of marina berths through sharing economy principles to reduce the need for construction of additional berths, promote maritime tourism, and increase the profitability and sustainability of the marina industry. For more, visit https://pickapier.com a highly connected network of marinas and boaters. For additional information about Popeye, visit Popeye Sail Club.
Biodiversity webinars open to all Blue Flag members
As part of the Foundational for Environmental Education (FEE) GAIA 20:30 strategy for the next decade, a series of webinars focused on Biodiversity will be organised by the Blue Flag and Green Key teams in April and May.
Launched by FEE in 2021, the GAIA 20:30 strategy represents the organisation’s commitment to contribute to a more sustainable world. As part of this strategy, FEE will be focusing its resources for the next decade on three critical environmental increasing threats to our planet – climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution.
In 2022, the GAIA 20:30 will protect global biodiversity through different actions: promoting sustainable management of the coastal zone, combating pollinator and insect loss, preserving existing and creating new natural areas, and finally raising awareness of efforts to remove invasive alien species.
Several initiatives will be held within the year dedicated to Biodiversity, including a Biodiversity Competition, a course, and four webinars, conducted in April and May. The webinars, developed in partnership between Green Key International and Blue Flag International teams, will focus on different aspects of biodiversity. The first webinar will be held on April 5th and the last one, conducted in May (date to be confirmed), can be particularly relevant for the Blue Flag national operators and members since they will explore the importance of biodiversity for coastal areas.
Focused on the Importance of Biodiversity to the Tourism Industry, the first webinar hosted on April 5th will raise questions as such:
What is biodiversity?
Why is it important for tourism?
What are the negative impacts of tourism on biodiversity?
More information will be shared in the upcoming weeks on the Blue Flag page and social media on how to sign up for the Biodiversity webinars.
Blue Flag and Pick a Pier partner to launch exclusive Popeye® Sail Club
With the increasing demand for berth space, industry leaders are finding new ways to sustain our marinas while continuing to adamantly protect the ocean. Blue Flag’s digital partner, Pick a Pier, is at the forefront of this mission and has just introduced an exciting new initiative — the Popeye® Sail Club.
Pick a Pier is a leading online platform that connects boaters and marinas, streamlining the berth reservation process and simplifying communication. Now it’s becoming even stronger with the launch of Popeye® Sail Club.
Popeye® the Sailor Man, the tough, loveable seafarer from the comics is now more helpful, more intelligent, and even stronger with technology — the perfect mascot to champion an international sustainability initiative.
“We’re excited by the incredible opportunity to engage directly with boaters to promote sustainable boating practices,” said International Blue Flag Director Johann Durand. “With Popeye at the helm, we can make the message of responsible sailing far more memorable.”
Here’s how it works
For every sail, boaters earn points, which can be redeemed at participating marinas as credit towards reservation fees. By reserving berth space in advance on Pick a Pier’s platform, boaters can now sail with ease while maintaining the flexibility to change their reservation up until the day of arrival.
Knowing with certainty exactly where to dock in two weeks is reward enough. But with a Popeye® Sail Club membership, boaters will be further rewarded for those advance reservations. Boaters can book a berth with priority access at some of the most sustainable marina destinations and get points for every USD/Euro spent. They’ll also get points for reporting that their own berthing space will be vacant when they sail away from their home marina. The programme encourages boaters to plan ahead by giving up to 3 times the points on early reservations.
Points can then be redeemed for discounted reservations and other marina services. On top of that, Pick a Pier will have special offers and promotions just for members that make points even more worthwhile.
Popeye® Sail Club is launching by invitation only and boaters at participating marinas will be the first to get their exclusive membership. Other boaters can be added to the waitlist at www.popeyesailclub.com
“We are extremely proud of this one-of-a-kind programme. Popeye® Sail Club is taking the Pick a Pier experience one step further. The club is designed for the most passionate boaters, empowering them to easily sail in a more sustainable way — and rewarding them along the way,” explains Idan Cohen, CEO of Pick a Pier.
Promoting better sustainability practices
Popeye® Sail Club is built around sharing economy principles that promote better use of existing resources and sustainability.
Pick a Pier is already helping Blue Flag marinas optimise their resources without compromising the environment or creating more work for their staff. Allowing marinas to do more with what they have reduces the need for marina construction or expansion.
But working with marinas and incentivizing boaters to plan ahead to increase sustainability is just one piece of the puzzle. In partnership with Blue Flag, Pick a Pier will ask that new boaters take the Sustainable Boating Pledge and adhere to eco-friendly practices at sea and on-shore.
The five basic principles are simple and incredibly effective in raising awareness among boaters and promoting a healthy ecosystem.
Protect the Waters
Refuel with care and never dump waste into the oceanSafeguard Marine Life
Anchor and fish only in permitted areasMinimise Waste
Avoid single-use plastics and use eco-friendly cleaning products when possible.Be More Considerate
Be mindful of other boaters in your vicinity. Dump sewage only where permitted.Stay Watchful
Report violations and inform authorities about hazards.
Blue Flag is committed to ensuring a resilient ocean, and Popeye® Sail Club will help us reach more boaters, showing everyone that ease of use, profitability and sustainability go hand in hand.
Blue Flag has begun using a new material for their flags created by recycled PET bottles
Blue Flag has made alterations to their fabric being used for the Flag, in partnership with Semaphore, the flag is now created utilising 100% recycled PET bottles.
Blue Flag works alongside Semaphore who produce the Flags which are used on certified beaches. Figures from 2020 production included orders that were dispatched toward forty-eight countries covering four continents. In 2021 the partnership with Semaphore was renewed with new material being used for the flags, offering the same products and sizes as before however with a new material: PET Flag.
This recycled material is made from used PET bottles that are collected in supermarkets and other collection points in western Europe. After collection, the bottles are chopped up in little flakes and then melted into polyester yarn. This yarn is then used to create the new flag fabric on which the Blue Flag is screen printed in The Netherlands.
The new PET Flag material was rolled out during the 2021 season on Blue Flag beaches all over the world with very positive results.
Team Semaphore is very happy with the new contract and we look forward to continuing working with the Blue Flag organisation! -Team Semaphore
The National Blue Flag Award Ceremony in Turkey kick-off the 2020 Blue Flag season
The Turkish National Blue Flag Award Ceremony for the 2020 season was held on the 17th July on Cesme Ilica Public Beach, located in the region of Izmir, Turkey.
The Turkish National Blue Flag Award Ceremony for the 2020 season was held on the 17th July on Cesme Ilica Public Beach, located in the region of Izmir, Turkey.
Photo ©: Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s media
The Blue Flag award is widely recognised in Turkey. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy participated to the ceremony and highlighted during his speech the importance of the Blue Flag award for Turkish beaches: "The Ministry gives a strong importance to Blue Flag and is working hard to increase the number of awarded beaches among the country”.
Photo ©: Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s media
The Minister also underlined the commitment of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to providing more information and education to the travel industry and municipalities in order to contribute to the development of sustainable tourism. Finally, an extensive development plan has been announced to develop the country’s beach facilities and improve treatment plants - key criteria to receive the Blue Flag award.
Photo ©: Mr. Orkun Kalonya from Cesme Municipality
In total for the 2020 season, 508 sites in Turkey are Blue Flag awarded - 486 beaches and 22 marinas.
Gozo Blue Flag beach event raises awareness about water and beach pollution in Malta
Friday 26th June 2020 was a special day at the Blue Flag awarded Ħondoq ir-Rummien beach in Gozo, Malta. Different activities were organised by Nature Trust – FEE Malta to raise awareness about water and beach pollution.
Friday 26th June 2020 was a special day at the Blue Flag awarded Hondoq ir-Rummien beach in Gozo, Malta. Different activities were organised by Nature Trust – FEE Malta to raise awareness about water and beach pollution.
The day started with volunteers cleaning up the beach - handpicking cigarette butts and small pieces of plastic from the sand and between the pebbles.
In the meantime, a group of divers made an underwater clean-up of the area.
The cleanup was followed by a presentation from the Gozo College Middle School Eco-Schools team about their GLOBE project to the two Ministers in attendance, the Minister of Gozo Clint Camilleri and the Minister of the Environment Aaron Farrugia. The students started the project from the same beach last November by collecting plastic litter and subsequently collecting data on the effects of plastic litter on sea water temperature and pH value.
Back in January, a turtle had been rescued by the Wildlife Rescue Team from the town of Marsalforn, another beach north of the island, after being spotted entangled in fishing debris, and was cared for by Nature Trust Malta. The turtle, named Jenna, was tagged and released in good health back into the sea on the day of the beach cleanup, much to the pleasure of all the students and adults present.
You can access the video of the turtle going back into the sea here.
Images copyright: Anita Muscat/Nature Trust - FEE Malta
A Blue Flag beach in the large tourist city of Odessa, Ukraine, democratically won the "Best Beach of Odessa" award
Last December 2019 was the launch of the first edition of the "Best Beach of Odessa" award in Ukraine and the Blue Flag awarded Caleton Beach was declared the winner by the public’s vote.
Odessa is the third most populous city of Ukraine, and a major tourism center, seaport and transport hub located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The award ceremony called "National Recognition/ People’s Vote - Odessa of the Year" is held every year to award regional leaders in the south-western part of Ukraine for their work in a broad range of categories from glamour and culture to politics and business. The project, which was founded in 2001, is carried out by the South Ukrainian Media Holding (UMH) and is one of the most ambitious and socially significant in the south of Ukraine.
Last December 2019 was the launch of the first edition of the "Best Beach of Odessa" award and the Blue Flag awarded Caleton Beach was declared the winner by the public’s vote. Its owner, Yuri Degas, went on stage to receive the award consisting of an honorary diploma and a cup that were handed to him by Tatyana Markova, Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Odessa City Council.
Pictures copyright: www.048.ua
Keeping the momentum of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference
The 2020 UN Ocean conference has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Blue Flag International would like to keep the momentum going and share our contributions to the protection of the ocean and marine resources and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The overarching theme of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference this year is "Scaling up Ocean Action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions", calling for science-based innovative solutions to amplify global ocean action. The conference was supposed to take place in Lisbon, Portugal from the 2nd to 6th of June, and Blue Flag International had planned to attend. Unfortunately, it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new dates will be announced at a later time. Despite the postponement, we would like to keep the momentum going and share Blue Flag’s contributions to the protection of the ocean and marine resources and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ocean covers 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, is the planet's largest biosphere, and is home to up to 80 percent of all life on Earth. It generates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide emissions, is a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change, nurtures biodiversity and is essential to human well-being and livelihoods. This is why the ocean’s protection against unsustainable human activities is essential to limit the depletion of marine resources and pass on a more sustainable world to future generations.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015 set 17 transformative goals to be reached by 2030. Goal number 14 “Life Below Water” stresses the need to conserve and sustainably use the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources. Blue Flag International is strongly committed to supporting the UN SDGs by promoting sustainability in the tourism sector, and contributes to their achievement through environmental education, environmental protection and other sustainable development practices.
Blue Flag’s influence is growing every year, with currently more than 4,500 Blue Flag awarded beaches, marinas and tourism boats in 47 countries around the world. Blue Flag also campaigns against disparity, inequality, unemployment, health threats, depletion of natural resources, environmental threats, pollution and general environmental degradation. One of the latest examples of Blue Flag’s contribution to the SDGs was the inauguration of the first Blue Flag Best Practice competition in 2020 on the theme of pollution. The competition was created to highlight the best examples of environmental protection practices implemented by Blue Flag sites around the world.
You can access all of the Best Practices implemented by Blue Flag sites here: https://www.blueflag.global/best-practices
To read more about how Blue Flag engages with and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals : https://www.blueflag.global/sdgs-blueflag
To get more information about the UN Ocean Conference: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2020
Travel diary #2: Terry in India
After South Africa, Terry continued its journey to India in January and February 2020. The main theme of this journey was waste management.
After South Africa, Terry continued its journey to India in January and February 2020. The launch of Terry’s journey was done during the Blue Flag assessment workshop conducted by the beach managers in Rushikonda in the state of Andhra Pradesh on the East coast of India. The main theme of this journey was waste management.
Terry assisted to specific cleaning activities on the beaches which included picking up and sorting out the waste. Terry also assisted to litter prevention campaigns targeting the tourists on the beaches in the states of Odhisha and Gujarat, respectively located on the East and West coast of India.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Terry’s journey has been slowed down and like everyone else, Terry has to stay home until further notice to keep oneself and its beloved ones safe.
But don’t worry, Terry will come back soon. Stay tuned for the next adventures!
Sustainable practices by Blue Flag's beach management body in Huatulco, Mexico
Dreams & Secrets Huatulco Resorts & Spa hotel employees are now part of Huatulco Wildlife Assistance Committee, whose aim is to act in case of emergencies, incidents and risks related to wildlife in Huatulco.
The Blue Flag awarded beach Tangolunda Beach is located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Its management body, the beach resort Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa, is being involved in many environmental activities and play an important role in the conservation and protection of the ecosystem.
Among others, Dreams and Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa is now part of the Advisory Board of Huatulco National Park. The management body of the resort is also developing an integrated waste management system.
Last but not least, the beach resort’s hotel employees are part of Huatulco Wildlife Assistance Committee, whose aim is to act in case of emergencies, incidents and risks related to wildlife in Huatulco.
The committee is composed of veterinarians, biologists and volunteers and its goal is to rescue intoxicated marine animals. One of the main example of intoxication is due to the algae dinoflagellates, a marine plankton whose rapid accumulation can produce toxins harmful to marine live.
All these practices help to path the way towards a more sustainable and more environmentally friendly way of doing business and a great example of flying high the Blue Flag.
Pictures copyright: Dreams & Secrets Huatulco Resorts & Spa
Blue Flag Turkey to raise awareness about responsible fishing and marine pollution
Since February, “Let’s get together in blue for future generations” project is running in Antalya, Turkey, to raise children’s awareness among sustainable fishery.
Since February, “Let’s get together in blue for future generations” project is running in Antalya, Turkey, to raise children’s awareness among sustainable fishery.
Encouraged by TÜRÇEV, the organisation running the Blue Flag programme in Turkey, this project aims to teach children between 7-13 years old about rules of amateur fishing, marine pollution and its effects on marine species. This training has been held every last Sunday of each month since its launch in February.
At the beginning of the project, the purpose was to reach a total of 600 students and their parents within one year by the end of 2019. By October 2019, 280 students from different schools and 482 of their parents have already attended to a one day educational seminar! By teaching children and their parents about marine species, Blue Flag Turkey does a great job for the protection of the environment. Involving families into this activity permits interactions between generations which is a key variable for the future of our planet.
“Today, we learned the names and functions of the fishes, fishing. Dangerous ones, ones not to be eaten and catched, for example - Ceren, age 9”
The first event of the project took place in Antalya EXPO area on February 17th with the participation of 50 students and parents. Participants kids were informed about environmental awareness, consumption habits, amateur fishing, fish species and other topics of interest. Then fishing activities have been carried out with fishing rods suitable for children. Fishes caught were put back into water after being examined delicately (no harm given) and measured on fish scale.
This project is undersigned by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Mediterranean Fishers and Sports Club Association (AKBADER), Touristic Air Transportation Co. (Corendon Airlines), Belek Tourism Investors Joint Venture (BETUYAB), Foundation for Environmental Education in Turkey (TÜRÇEV) and Mediterranean Research, Production and Training Institute (AKSAM).
Blue Flag French marina encourages sustainable and green modes of transport
In the south of France, Gruissan marina initiated a range of services for the tourists who want to discover the town and the hinterland in a sustainable way.
In the south of France, Gruissan marina initiated a range of services for the tourists who want to discover the town and the hinterland in a sustainable way. A successful project initiated five years ago in the municipality.
Gruissan marina received the Blue Flag award each year since 1988 and began to provide holiday-makers with sustainable modes of transport five years ago, thanks to its Odyssea Protect Eco-station. This station is a zero CO2 emission park where electric cars, ordinary and electric bikes and bus shuttles are available for the tourists. This initiative is incorporated within the framework of Odyssea - the European Network of Cities and Ports Territories – whose objective is the deployment of a new theme of tourism in Europe: “Blue Tourism”.
“This service is an answer to new demands in Tourism”, Jean-Claude MERIC, General Manager of the resort, says. Nowadays, tourists express their desire to “live an experience” during their stay. According to him, “eco-friendly transportation has gone beyond its functional dimension to become part of an innovative and appealing touristic experience.””
An interactive and cultural “Land and Sea” itinerary has been created to encourage tourists to tour the highlights of the territory from the port of Gruissan to the hinterland. This itinerary encourages sustainable and green modes of transport while introducing the help of either a professional tour guide or the use of multimedia innovation. Holiday-makers can, for example, be guided by several numerical tools featuring a pre-recorded cultural itinerary at their disposal: a spoken documentary starts each time they reach a point of interest and tells them the history of the places driven through.
Gruissan’s preserved natural environment attracts a lot of holiday-makers each summer. Its zero CO2 emissions park is an inspiring initiative contributing to the preservation of the coasts. It also illustrates how marinas are playing a key role in the economy of a destination and its tourism, such as in raising awareness of the tourists among environmental issues.
Triscovery and Blue Flag join forces to enhance marine and coastal sustainability practices
Triscovery Srl and the Blue Flag programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enhance and share marine and coastal sustainability practices among the community of boating tourism operators.
Copenhagen – 25 september 2019, Triscovery Srl and the Foundation for Environmental Education through its Blue Flag programme, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on September 16, 2019 that will enhance and share marine and coastal sustainability practices among the community of boating tourism operators.
©Blue Flag Puerto Rico
Triscovery is the first online platform that allows travelers to discover and book the best day trips and boat events in advance. Every year, thousands of travelers live truly unique boating experiences, the exploration of the most beautiful coasts and islands. A very strict policy based on customer satisfaction and environmental protection are applied to Triscovery fleet. Through the Marketplace, the boating operators introduce their experiences and allow to book in real time and in total safety, with coverage in the event of bad weather and sea conditions.
All tour operators that offer boat-based tourism activities and that embrace sustainable practices in line with the Blue Flag criteria could be eligible for an application to become a Blue Flag accredited sustainable boating tourism operator. This includes seeing environmental education as an integral part of the tourism products, assessing and making an effort to reduce negative impacts on the economic, social and natural environment, considering the needs of tourists, its employees and the environment and contributing to the development and distribution of sustainable practices.
“Fabrizio Badalucco, Ceo of Triscovery, comments: “The signing of the MoU marks a new milestone in the work of Triscovery that leads to boost the environmental policy among our boating operators across the Mediterranean area. We are proud to be the first company that make possible this kind of collaboration aimed to doing boating business according to sustainability and respecting the environment. We hope that other companies and investors can join and finance industry that are compliant with the blue economy.”
©Blue Flag Turkey
“The Oceans are at risk, and through Blue Flag we are striving to make a difference in marine litter, biodiversity and other key aspects for our Blue planet. It is vital that the tourism industry aligns itself with sustainable development practices, which is what our framework provides. We are excited to work with more operators through Triscovery’s network,” says Sophie Bachet Granados, Director of the Blue Flag programme.”
The Blue Flag programme for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators is run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education. The Blue Flag programme started in France in 1985. It has been operating in Europe since 1987 and in areas outside of Europe since 2001. Today, Blue Flag has become a truly global programme with an ever-increasing number of countries participating in this global effort, with 50 countries in its network and more than 4,500 awarded beaches, marinas and ecotourism boats.
Triscovery - Media Relations:
+39 393 8942947
Blue Flag - Media Relations:
+4561248081
sophie@fee.global
Tidy up cigarette butts with #FillTheBottle challenge
The idea is simple: you collect the cigarette butts that you find in nature and fill a bottle with them. This challenge has spread to the Blue Flag beaches.
This challenge has spread to the Blue Flag French beaches.
The idea is simple: you collect the cigarette butts that you find in nature and fill a bottle with them. This challenge initiated at the beginning of August by a French student on Twitter immediately went viral on social media and became an international concern. The “Fill the bottle challenge” requests citizens’ involvement to preserve the environment and raises awareness about cigarette butts’ impact on our ecosystem.
Since August, 6th, The French city of Torreilles encourages residents and tourists to take up the challenge. The city is part of the second French region with the most Blue Flag awarded sites, a region where other Blue Flag beaches launched the challenge too.
Each second, 137 000 cigarette butts are thrown out on the ground worldwide. Even though we know that they take between 12 and 25 years to decompose, several thousands of cigarette butts end up in seas and oceans each year. Thus undersea species are endangered by people discarding their cigarettes without a second thought, given that one and only cigarette butt can pollute 5000 litres of water.
The results of the challenge are impressive, but it is bittersweet as cigarette butts are the most littered item around the world. You should be surprised by how many never get collected. Unfortunately, you can gather them for a few minutes and you will be sure your bottle will be full. This is why the most important message is to educate the smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts in an environmentally safe way. Blue Flag and the city of Torreilles are also working towards this education, for a longer sustainable impact on the future.
The #FillTheBottle challenge taking place in Torreilles is such a good action to preserve the environment. Nevertheless, people have to make sure that they don’t throw away the bottle the same way the cigarette butts have been tossed out! That is why they are all collected by the tourism office in exchange for a hat of the city.
By taking up the challenge, the city of Torreilles proves its engagement for the planet and gives an example of an action preserving beaches, seas and oceans from pollution. This is another guarantee to find Blue Flag beaches clean!