UNWTO Recognizes the World’s Highest Quality Beaches for 2019

The UNWTO announced the awards for the highest quality beaches for this year, with Greece bagging the second spot in the entire world, behind only Spain.

Greece can now boast of having 515 total “Blue Flag” beaches, and it also received praises for quality of fifteen different marinas and four sustainable tourism boats.

The prestigious Blue Flag is recognized worldwide as a sign of excellence in life-saving facilities, first-rate water quality, accessibility, and information regarding the surrounding nature of the award-winning beaches.

Most of Greece’s Blue Flag awards, from a total of ninety-two that it won this year, went to beaches in Halkidiki, in Northern Greece.

In order to qualify for the prestigious Blue Flag award, there are a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria to be met and maintained. “Excellent” water quality for beaches is a main requirement.

The Blue Flag award has duration of one year. However, EEPF and FEE inspectors often make surprise visits to the country’s award-winning beaches between July and August, and marinas all year round, for inspecting if the Blue Flag program criteria are being maintained.