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What does the Blue Flag mean on the beach?

How many people met the Blue Flag on the beach? What does it mean? Apparently, this is not known to many people. Therefore it is worthwhile to figure out what the special flag means and whether it makes sense to look for such marked beaches in advance.

Beach holidays

Many people do not represent their vacation without the gentle sun and the sea. Therefore, every year, warm southern resorts receive a huge number of tourists who seek to the beaches. But their requests vary: some like the calm sea, and others - small waves and wind. For some, it turns out that pebble beach or sandy, and there are people and generally with special requests. But anyway, everyone understands that you need to rest on the shore, which is completely safe, where there is all the necessary equipment.

On many beaches of the world there is a special system of colored flags that shows that, for example, there are dangerous creatures in the sea, or waves are too big, and therefore bathing is prohibited. But the same colors are not always used, so you can easily get confused in the notation. But there is an international sign - the Blue Flag on the beach. What does it mean?

Blue Flags

The problem of assessing the quality of the beaches became relevant for a long time, and already in 1985 a special system began its work. Initially, it operated only within Europe, but in 2001, the organization that certifies resting places by the sea, has become a worldwide organization. To date, it has about 50 participating countries in Eurasia, Africa, Oceania, North and South America. Initially, the blue flag on the beach meant high quality of seawater (by several parameters), today they are marked only by those places that correspond to almost 30 different criteria. Obviously, this sign is very prestigious, and such beaches attract more tourists. That is why every year the requirements are toughened, but more and more recreation areas receive these awards, and more and more countries are joining a kind of club. Certification of beaches in the eastern hemisphere is held in May-June, and the Caribbean - in early November.

Award criteria

Before each season, the beaches of the participating countries of the project are certified. Many parameters are considered, divided into the following categories.

1. Water quality:

  • Compliance with the requirements adopted by the EU Directive.
  • No industrial wastewater discharge.
  • Presence of local or regional action plans in the event of pollution from accidents.
  • Preventing the accumulation of algae in places for rest.
  • Meeting the requirements of urban wastewater treatment.

2. Ecological information:

  • Availability of at least 5 educational programs.
  • Timely informing about the occurred or alleged contamination of the beach.
  • Providing visitors with information about existing laws and codes, as well as rules of conduct.
  • Information on dangerous areas near the coast, including habitats of local flora and fauna, whose representatives can cause harm to a person.
  • The presence of a special educational center.
  • Timely updating and updating of all provided information.

3. Environmental management:

  • Availability of a sufficient number of garbage cans, which are regularly serviced and emptied.
  • Carry out regular, if necessary and daily cleaning of the beach.
  • The availability of a land use and development plan for the coastal zone, either separately or regionally.
  • Full ban on the entry of vehicles without special permission, unauthorized camping sites, dumping of waste and auto- or motorcycle races on the beach.
  • Availability of secure access.
  • Active promotion of environmentally friendly modes of transport to visit the coastal zone.

4. Security:

  • Presence of all first aid means on the beach.
  • Strict implementation of state laws regarding the stay in the recreational area of various animals.
  • Presence of rescuers and necessary equipment on the beach and / or other way of ensuring safety and preventing accidents.
  • Access to a source of drinking water.
  • The presence of a working phone, in case the rescuers do not work on the beach.
  • All buildings and structures must be kept in order and clean.

Not all of the above criteria are mandatory for execution, some of them are recommendatory in nature. And yet, to get the highest score - the blue flag, - every year the authorities try to make the beaches better and better. And many succeed: in 2015 on the world map it was possible to count 4159 seats, awarded this quality mark. Beaches marked by the Blue Flag took a huge number of tourists over the summer, while not forgetting to maintain the necessary level of safety and cleanliness. The prestige of this award is so high that many people even plan their vacation, focusing on the most highly rated recreation areas. So, where is most of them located?

Spain

Every year the Blue Flag is awarded to a huge number of beaches. In 2015, the first in the number of such places was Spain - on its map were counted 577 certified sections of sea coasts. Most of the beaches, the ecological cleanliness and safety of which are confirmed, are located in Galicia. In second place was Valencia, and on the third - Catalonia. Let's see if Spain will succeed in retaining the leadership in 2016 and, perhaps, to improve the result? In the meantime, an inexperienced tourist is much more difficult to get to the beach, not marked with a flag, and soon it will probably not be possible at all.

Turkey

In the spring of 2015 it became clear that another popular southern country received "silver" in the competition for the number of certified beaches. It was Turkey with the result of 436. Most of the marked beaches are in the regions traditionally popular with Russians - Bodrum, Kemer, Antalya, Marmaris. And there is a hope that next year more places will receive a badge - the Blue Flag.

Greece

On the third place from last year's second, with the result in 395 rest zones, Ellada moved, having lost as many as 13 marked coasts. Obviously, the crisis that affected Greece, was the reason, among other things, that the government focused on more pressing topics. Most of the local beaches, over which the Blue Flag fluttered, is concentrated in traditional resort places - in Crete and the peninsula of Halkidiki.

France

The country that spawned the Blue Flag movement took the fourth place in 2015 in number. From Greece, France is behind very little - on its territory 379 beaches that meet all the criteria of environmental cleanliness and security. Places for recreation, marked by the Blue Flag, are located on the coast fairly evenly. A sufficient number of them are located both on the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cyprus

Another country, which enjoys constant love among the inhabitants of the northern latitudes, received 57 awards in 2015, just like last year, and almost all of them are concentrated in the southern part of the island. It may seem that this is slightly compared to the hundreds in previous countries. However, let's not forget about the small size of the island. It is worth mentioning that Cyprus is a record-breaking record: first, there are the largest number of holiday destinations in terms of per capita, and secondly, the largest number of them per unit length of the coastline. In general, the beaches of Cyprus with the Blue Flag are located in the areas of Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Famagusta.

Russia

Despite the fact that Russia does not have many warm places with beaches, it has been participating in the Blue Flags program for several years. Unfortunately, for all this time only a couple of yacht clubs have been awarded a prestigious award, but not a single beach has been certified for compliance with European standards. However, let's not lose heart: perhaps in the coming years the situation will change for the better.

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