All Bulgarian beaches, marinas and vessels, who wish to be certified and recognized for their excellent management with a focus on protecting our environment, ranking among the world's best sites in the most desirable tourist destinations around the world world, can submit their applications until January 20, 2025.
The national jury for the selection of the Bulgarian applicants for the Blue Flag will meet at the beginning of February, and by then everyone's documentation should be submitted and examined by the Movement's experts.
In the “Blue Flag” for many years the best Bulgarian beaches and marinas have participated, serving as an example not only to their native competitors, but also to foreign concessionaires. Some of them have won international competitions for best practices or have been highlighted as benchmarks by the global auditors who check them.
Bulgarian tourism owes a lot for its positive image in our country and around the world to the beaches, bearers of the most desirable eco-label in tourism – Blue flag: Arkutino, Duni South, Duni, Sozopol Harmanite, Sozopol Central, Camping "Chernomorets", Pomorie East, Nessebar South, Sunny Beach South, Sunny Beach Central, Sunny Beach North, Saint Vlas Central, Saint Vlas New Beach, Saint Vlas East, Obzor Central, Byala Yug, "Chernomorets" Hut, Sunny Day, Golden Sands, Kranevo Sever, Albena, White Lagoon and at the only award-winning marina – Marina Dinevi.
The Ministry of Tourism, as the main state institution controlling the beaches, proudly highlights the success of the awardees and cites the number of Blue Flags for Bulgaria each summer season. In the Bulgarian Movement “Blue Flag“ rely on, in addition to reporting the favorable statistics, the Ministry to assist in popularizing the “Blue Flag” and its advantages, to stimulate and motivate other concessionaires to join it. Because it has been indisputably proven on a global scale that the countries with the most Blue Flags – Spain with 748, Greece with 624, Turkey with 612, Italy with 566, France with 506, Portugal with 440 are the most preferred and visited world tourist destinations.
And if in all these countries the “Blue Flag” is part of the state tourism policy and marketing strategy, and in neighboring Turkey it is truly scandalous for a resort if it does not deserve a Blue Flag, in our country only 7% of beaches apply for the award. Therefore, it is logical that those awarded with the Blue Flag are also the most sought after and visited places for recreation.
Many Bulgarian beaches are excellently managed and can easily be awarded. And since there is no national policy towards the Blue Flag in our country, everything depends only on the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement. and the desire of their concessionaires and their ambition to rank among the world's best 5160 sites from 51 countries, thus glorifying not only their place, but also Bulgaria. This would inevitably attract more tourists and lead to a better economic effect.
There are also very well-developed yacht harbors in our country, whose organization and infrastructure probably meet the criteria of the “Blue Flag” Program. But since 2007, the only marina in Bulgaria, which has won the Blue Flag without interruption for 17 years and proudly waves the Blue Flag, is Marina "Dinevi". Bulgarian Movement “Blue Flag“ calls on the others who wish to test their level by getting certified under the Program, to state their desire and the Movement will provide them with full assistance.
New state requirements are being introduced that concern the management of beaches, and it turns out that Blue Flag holders are steps ahead of others, as they have been fulfilling many of them for years, as part of the Program criteria.
Bulgarian Movement “Blue Flag“ is waiting for the applications from the Bulgarian beaches and marinas for the world Blue Flag Award, which after the review of the National Jury will be presented to the International Jury, consisting of representatives of the most authoritative institutions such as the United Nations Environmental Program /UNEP/, the World Tourism Organization / UNWTO/, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization /UNESCO/, European Environmental Agency /EEA/, International Water Rescue Federation /ILS/, The International Council of Maritime Industry Associations /ICOMIA/, the European Network for Accessible Tourism /ENAT/ and the Foundation for Environmental Education /FEE/.
The Movement hopes for a more successful year in 2025, when it will be 30 years since the first Blue Flag was waved in Bulgaria on the beach of Sunny Beach in front of the ”Europa” on July 4, 1995 at 11:59:25 p.m
In order to maintain the Blue Flag standard worldwide for 38 years now, and in Bulgaria – almost 30 years, the criteria must be high. But they are definitely not impossible. They affect infrastructure and management requirements, which are practically fulfilled on the majority of Bulgarian beaches.
Sane tourists who wish to holiday on a clean, safe, secure, comfortable and modern beach with good quality bathing water and the services they want prefer those with a Blue Flag. Because these beaches have found their true owners who care about their quality management, because they are not indifferent to the reputation of the hotel, resort, city or municipality where they are located, and they realize the benefit of this universally recognized eco-label and the marketing and financial effect it brings, not only directly to the award-winning beach, but also to the region, the district and the country.
It would be nice if the success of the Bulgarian Blue Flag beaches infects and inspires other concessionaires to fulfill the requirements of the standard, turning their beaches into attractive places for tourists and ranking among the world leaders. Because having the Blue Flag brings self-confidence, but also imposes a management style that changes the consciousness and the way of thinking and acting of the employees and guests of the beaches, so that the footprint on the environment is minimal.
For contacts and assistance – the site of the Bulgarian Movement “BLUE FLAG“ is https://www.blueflag.bg/.