Blue flag status for St George's Bay

Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech yesterday launched a blue flag status pilot project for St George's Bay, in St Julians.

The blue flag programme is a voluntary certification scheme for beaches and marinas that brings together the tourism and environmental sectors.

St George's Bay is the first beach the Malta Tourism Authority has awarded blue flag status and will be managed in accordance with stringent criteria with regard to water quality, cleanliness, safety and management, provision of information and environmental education.

Dr Zammit Dimech said that, since 2002, the MTA has already implemented an eco label for hotels, known as the Eco-Certification Scheme. He said participation in the blue flag programme extends this work, providing tourists with a quality product which they can use in order to choose where to reside during their holiday and where to swim, adding that these initiatives are key to the government's policy to promote sustainable tourism.

"We are proud to declare St George's Bay a blue flag pilot project beach and look forward to involvement by the various stakeholders, including the public, local businesses, local boat owners, schoolchildren and other interested organisations, to ensure that the beach maintains its blue flag status. We hope this will be the first of such initiatives," he said.

The blue flag programme is an international eco label recognised by both tourists and tour operators. It is administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education, represented in Malta by Nature Trust.