Visit.Montenegro.com : Blue Flag on Display at 18 Beaches

Budva – Prestigious environmental mark, the Blue Flag, would be displayed this year on 18 beaches in Montenegro. These beaches have met all demanding standards stipulated by this global environmental campaign. International jury in Copenhagen had confirmed candidacy of these 18 beaches and had allowed the display of the Blue Flag at these locations.

According to the spokesperson of “Morsko dobro”, Sandra Radulovic, international jury has informed the national coordinator that the Blue Flags had been approved for all 18 candidate-beaches.

“Blue Flags had been awarded to Herceg Novi’s Beaches of “Club Hotel Rivijera” at Njivice, “Porto Zanjic“ and “Cuba Libre“ at Zanjice, as well as beaches at “Yachting Club“ and „Stevuzo“ at Dobrac bay.

This prestigious environmental mark had also been awarded to Tivat’s beaches of “Kalardovo“ and “Plavi horizont“, as well as Budva’s “Blue Beach“, “S and I beach life” and “Escallera“ at Jaz.

Blue Flag can also be displayed at Becici’s location of “Sveti Toma” and “The Queen of Montenegro”, as well as Budva’s “Mogren I”.

This prestigious award will also be displayed at five beaches at Ulcinj’s Velika plaza: “Miami” “Tropicana”, “Tony Grill”, “Safari” and “Copacabana”, Radulovic said.

She added that beaches in front of hotel “Maestral” at Przno, “Paradizo” at Utjeha and Sutomore’s “Centar”, which had Blue Flag during 2007 or where this project had been implemented in its’ pilot-stage, have failed to qualify for the Blue Flag in 2008.

“The reason for this had been because less than 80 percent of the samples collected had failed to meet demanding standards in the sea-water quality. These beaches, where Blue Flag project had been in its’ pilot-phase, will qualify alongside other beaches till mid-May.

Beginning of the program Blue Flag in 2008 will be, as it has already become traditional, be marked with displaying the flag at Tivat’s beach ‘Kalardovo’”, Radulovic said.

During this year, the pilot-phase of the project had also been implemented at the beaches of hotel “Sunresort”, Topla and Lazaret, Meljine in the Municipality of Herceg Novi, hotel beaches of “Bellevue” in Becici” and “Maestral” in Przno, “Centar” in Sutomore and “Paradiso” in Utjeha, as well as “Evropa beach” and “MCM beach” at Ulcinj’s Velika plaza.

Awarding of the Blue Flag is base on meeting the criteria in four areas: water quality, environmental education and public-awareness, environmental management and safety and services.

Beaches must fully meet total of 27 criteria, while five criteria remain a matter of recommendation so that the beach could be considered as the Blue Flag candidate.

This exclusive environmental mark would be attributed to 2,442 beaches and 532 marinas in 28 counties in Europe, as well as Canada and Morocco.

Blue Flag campaign is one of five campaigns which are ran by an independent non-profit organization “The Foundation for Environmental Education - FEE", whose headquarters are base in Copenhagen.

“Blue Flag” is a symbol of high ecological standards in the field of environmental protection, as well as quality in sanitation and safety standards at beaches and in marinas. Crucial part of this campaign is also environmental education, as well as distribution of information in the public, authorities and tourist workers about the protection of the environment.

Blue Flag campaign had been launched in Montenegro in 2003, in cooperation with the public enterprise for running of maritime resources of Montenegro, which is also a general sponsor and financer since NGO “ECOM” had received membership with the Foundation for Environmental Education, thus receiving clearance to become a national operator for the Blue Flag Campaign in Montenegro.

Beside the financial and organizational assistance from “Morsko dobro”, this project is also supported by Montenegrin Ministry of Tourism, Tourist organization of Montenegro, Red Cross of Montenegro, coastal Municipalities and local environmental organization, which is, apart from the great interest that had been expressed by the users of beaches, also the reason for increasing popularity of this internationally recognized award for high environmental, safety and service standards on the beaches.

For the success it has achieved in the promotion of tourism, “Blue Flag” campaign has also received an award of the National Tourist Organization in 2005 and 2007.

(1 July 2008)

By: V.L.