Liguria and Puglia lead the ranking of the 2023 Blue Flags, which fly on the 458 Italian beaches of 226 municipalities and 84 tourist ports.
The region is the all-rounder Liguria that counts well 34, thanks to two new entries: Sori e Laigueglia, a welcome return after a 21-year absence from the rankings.
But there are 17 locations in total that have forcefully entered the list of recognitions of the program launched by the Dutch NGO FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education, ed) for this 2023.
17 new entries in the 2023 Blue Flags program
La Puglia follows decidedly detached, with 22 locations awarded the prestigious recognition, 4 more than last year. Gallipoli, Tremiti Islands, Leporano e Vieste mark their entry into the 2023 Blue Flag ranking.
La Campania, with San Mauro Cilento , Toscana with Orbetello, with a new entry each, and the Calabria, with two new Blue Flags 2023 (Catanzaro e Rocca Imperiale), follow with 19 recognitions. The Marche, with the inclusion of Porto San Giorgio, have risen to 18, while Sardinia (15), Abruzzo (14) Sicilia (11) to Lazio e Trentino Alto Adige (10 awards each) remained firm in their notable positions.
In the area Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, Catholic has left the list of awarded locations, while gatteo is one of the new entries of the 2023 edition which brings the number of awarded coastlines to 9. The Veneto confirmed his 9 Blue Flags 2023, as well as the Basilicata its 5. In Piedmont, San Maurizio d'Opaglio e Verbania have entered the list of awarded locations, bringing the total number of Blue Flags 2023 awarded to the region to 5. Situation unchanged for the Friuli Venezia Giulia, which confirmed the 2 awards of 2022. Finally, the Lombardia obtained 3 Blue Flags 2023 thanks to the lake shores of Sirmione e Toscano Maderno – which are added to Gardone Riviera – while the Molise has won 2 thanks to the new entry of Termoli, which keeps Campomarino company.
The program analyzes 32 different evaluation criteria
Not just sea, therefore, but lots of lake: there are 21 2023 blue flags assigned to lakeside locations this year, with 4 new entries.
Beauty and services first and foremost, the criteria for assigning the prestigious Blue Flags 2023 also take into account other parameters: 32 criteria make the difference. From the quality of bathing water to the safety of swimmers, from the care of street furniture and beaches to sustainable mobility, through environmental education and the enhancement of natural areas to the initiatives promoted by the administrations for better livability in the summer period.
It is therefore an overall evaluation, which sees the involvement in FEE program of different institutions and bodies: from the Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, as well as the trade associations of economic operators along the entire supply chain.
Blue Flags 2023: 11% of the awarded beaches are Italian
And this year the world ranking has a larger Italian representation, with approximately 11% of beaches awarded: a sign that local administrations have adopted, over time, a virtuous circle in the name of environmental respect and improvement of the quality of services, often in synergy with the entire territory of reference.
The assessments, in fact, analyze a spectrum of data that extends over four years: presence and functionality of purification plants, percentage of sewer connections, waste management, up to the initiatives implemented by local authorities to improve liveability during the summer season. The Fee also evaluates the enhancement of natural areas present in the territory, the care of street furniture and beaches and the possibility of access to the sea without limitations.
A path covered exponentially by Italy itself which, in 1987 – the year the programme was launched – had been awarded only 37 blue flags, while today the blue banners fly on approximately a quarter of the Italian beaches.
The 2023 program in collaboration with Dinamo Camp
An acknowledgement for the Italian tourism industry, in a very vigorous recovery after three years of passion due to the pandemic, which finally sees its excellence recognized not only thanks to its naturalistic and architectural beauties but thanks to a complex strategy and a vision that takes into account every element present in the territory.
And inclusiveness was certainly one of the most decisive values in the assignment of the 2023 blue flags. To promote this commitment, the Fee Italy has entered into a partnership with the Foundation Dynamo Camp, an Italian organization that has been offering free recreational therapy programs to children and young people with chronic diseases and their families since 2006. In particular, the Dynamo Camp Foundation was involved in the project “2+ Million KM 2022 – Your Energy Their Happiness”, which challenges Blue Flag municipalities to compete as teams in a civic and solidarity ride to reach a total of over two million kilometers and raise funds for Dynamo Camp.
Beautiful and sustainable: summer 2023 is spent on Italian beaches.
