Foundation for Environmental Education

Spot checks by teams of Greek and international inspectors saw 22 beaches in different parts of Greece stripped of their Blue Flag certification on Thursday.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced that the number of free five-star public beaches will be increased to 35 across the country.

The number of Blue Flag beaches in Türkiye has risen to 551, the Culture Ministry has said.

The Blue Flag awards for 2023 have been announced, and 551 beaches, 23 marinas, 14 tourism boats and 10 private yachts have been awarded with a Blue Flag, according to a statement of the ministry.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry is working to detect the effects of climate change on the tourism sector and take measures in this regard, Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has said.

Turkey continues to rank third in the list of "countries with the most blue-flagged beaches" this year, with the number of blue-flagged beaches increasing from 519 to 531 currently.

Like in 2021, Spain topped the ranking, while Greece was runner-up this year. Italy and France followed Turkey in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

486 beaches in Greece have been awarded the Blue Flag this year!

Three hundred and ninety five Greek coasts and nine marinas won the international “Blue Flag” programme classification, placing Greece in third amongst 49 countries.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 4000 beaches and marinas in 49 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean.

Among 50 countries, Turkey ranked second in the 2015 Blue Flag program, with 436 blue-flagged beaches, following Spain with 578 beaches, according to results announced by the International Blue Flag jury. 

Turkey is aiming to be the world leader in the number of Blue Flag beaches as part of its 2023 targets to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has said.

Turkey has been chosen third in the world in 2014 with its 397 blue-flagged beaches, according to the Chamber of Shipping’s (DTO) İzmir Branch.

In 2012, the number of blue-flagged beaches in Turkey was 355, marinas 19 and yachts 13, while in 2013 the number of blue-flagged beaches numbered 383, marinas 21 and yachts 13.