TU News : 29 Beaches awarded Blue Flag status

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29 Beaches awarded Blue Flag status

National Marine Month in October 2009 came to an end on a high note when the new season of Blue Flag South Africa was launched at Muizenberg beach yesterday with the announcement that 29 beaches had been certified prior to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

 

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said the increase of Blue Flag beaches from 19 last year to 29 this year was extremely good for tourism in South Africa. "In order for South Africa to optimise its tourism potential, it is critical that we offer both domestic and international visitors clean, safe and well-managed beaches."

 

"The main catalyst for the increase in the number of Blue Flag beaches has been the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Municipalities participating in the programme have seen the benefits of having Blue Flag beaches and wish to be in a position to offer and promote their Blue Flag beaches to 2010 visitors and those who plan to return to South Africa in the future. Six new municipalities joined the programme this year and all existing municipalities have added additional beaches to their suite of Blue Flag beaches," the Minister said.

 

"The success of the Blue Flag programme in South Africa can be attributed to the commitment of participating municipalities to provide beach-goers and holiday-makers with world-class beaches offering safe, clean and well-managed facilities," says Alison Kelly, the Blue Flag Programme Manager. "At a time in our country when there is great concern about service delivery at local authority level, these municipalities managing Blue Flag beaches are showing that high levels of excellence and delivery of services to benefit both local and international visitors are possible."

 

Research has shown that the commitment of municipalities to Blue Flag makes sound economic sense within tourism, e.g. research on Margate beach indicating that the value of Blue Flag status at the beach could generate income amounting to tens of millions of rands per annum.

 

Minister van Schalkwyk said research feedback had shown that both international and domestic tourists valued the quality assurances that Blue Flag beaches offered. "With a 23-year history of implementation in Europe, international visitors to South Africa are familiar with the Blue Flag brand. 

 

South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to implement the Blue Flag programme and since 2001,  the programme has become a truly global initiative with 38 countries participating and a further seven countries undertaking the feasibility stage.  

 

The South African beaches that have received Blue Flag accreditation are:

 

. MacDougall's Bay, Port Nolloth (new)  
. Yzerfontein Main beach, Yzerfontein (new) 
. Big Bay beach, Bloubergstrand Cape Town (new)
. Clifton 5th beach, Cape Town 
. Camps Bay, Cape Town    
. Muizenberg, Cape Town    
. Strandfontein beach, Cape Town  
. Mnandi beach, Cape Town    
. Bikini beach, Gordon's Bay   
. Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus  (back in programme)  
. Hawston beach, near Hermanus   
. Grotto beach, Hermanus    
. Lappiesbaai, Stilbaai, Southern Cape  
. Santos beach, Mossel Bay  (new)  
. Hartenbos beach, Mossel Bay (new) 
. Robberg 5 beach, Plettenberg Bay (new) 
. Dolphin beach, Jeffrey's Bay  
. Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth 
. Hobie beach, Port Elizabeth  
. Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth  
. Kelly's beach, Port Alfred    
. Kariega Main beach, Kenton-on-Sea (new) 
. Boknes beach, Kenton-On-Sea   (new)
. Gonubie beach, East London (back in programme)
. Trafalgar beach, south coast KZN (new)
. Marina beach, south coast KZN  
. Ramsgate beach, near Margate  
. Margate beach     
. Alkantstrand, Richards Bay (new)

Click here for more news :www.tourismupate.co.za

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