Good news for all seaside visitors! On the 2nd of July, the Blue Flag was raised on 27 coastal beaches in Belgium. The Blue Flag is an international award for beaches, tourism boats and marinas that excel in quality and sustainability.
Copyright: Blue Flag Belgium
Until the day of the award ceremony, Belgium was almost the only European country without Blue Flag beaches on the coast. Thanks to the necessary interventions at the estuaries of the port channels of the water-treatment company Aquafin, as well as the efforts of the municipalities, the water quality has improved to such an extent that any coastal municipality is now eligible.
At the beginning of July, GoodPlanet Belgium, Tourism Flanders and Aquafin therefore officially raised the first Blue Flag at the Twins Club in Bredene, in the presence of the Mayors and the Minister.
I am convinced that this award will strengthen the positive image and reputation of the tourist destination Flanders nationally and internationally, and make Flanders even better known as a high quality and sustainable travel destination
says Flemish Minister of Tourism, Zuhal Demir.
Worldwide, there are 4.664 Blue Flag sites in 46 countries. However, a beach or marina does not get the Blue Flag award effortlessly. Locations that apply for the award are assessed by an external controller, an independent Belgian jury and an independent international jury.
Fun in the water is the highlight of a day at the beach. Water purifier Aquafin is happy to support the Blue Flag award because a clean sea makes it clear why all those sewerage works are necessary for Flanders. Because in the end, all the water flows in the sea. The operators, who keep the water purification plants on the coast running, ensure that you can enjoy yourself as a family without having to worry about water quality,
says Valerie Lievens, communications manager at Aquafin.
However, the guidelines of the Blue Flag award include much more than regulations concerning clean swimming water. Each location also complies with strict standards concerning safety, general services and accessibility (for example, the presence of lifeguards, first aid equipment and the availability of drinking water, amongst others), environmental and sustainability management (such as a clean beach with possibilities to sort waste, clean toilets etc.) information about water quality, local nature reserves as well as an information board with a general map.
Currently, there are twelve beaches and seven marinas in Belgium that already received the Blue Flag award in recent years and will continue to follow the regulations of the award in 2020.
Contact
Jorine Vermeer, Project Manager Blue Flag
+32 473 13 45 76 | blueflag@goodplanet.be
Valerie Lievens, Manager of Communication Aquafin
+32 476 96 79 45 |valerie.lievens@aquafin.be
Stef Gits, Spokesperson Tourism Flanders
+32 486 22 67 95 | stef.gits@toerismevlaanderen.be
Andy Pieters, Spokesperson & Deputy Head of Cabinet Flemish Minister Zuhal Demir
+32 499 17 35 84 | andy.pieters@vlaanderen.be
