On the 28 September 2011, the Blue Flag International Jury has awarded the Blue Flag to a beach and a marina in Sint Maarten as well as 4 beaches in the US Virgin Islands for the first time.

The 'Spirit of New Zealand' the (tall) flag ship of the Spirit of Adventure Trust was officially welcomed as a member of the global Blue Flag programme at a ceremony on Friday at Westhaven Marina Auckland.

Puerto Rico gives the first Blue Flag to a beach located at a Nature Reserve in the Caribbean. During the 2010-2011 Ceremony, OPAS handed the blue flag to the first nature reserve to obtain this eco-label in the Caribbean.

For the 10th anniversary year of Blue Flag in South Africa, twenty-seven South African beaches have been awarded international Blue Flag status for 2010/11.

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and Sail Training International have joined forces to promote FEE’s Blue Flag programme to help protect the world’s marine environment.