The Blue Flag is an international awards system that ensures tourists that the beach or yacht marina they visit are some of the best in the world.

The Blue Flag is a global environmental award given to operators who make a special effort to manage their coastal aquatic environment, marinas, and beaches. To qualify for the Blue Flag, beach operators must meet several conditions, including environmental information and education, environmental management, safety and services, and water quality.

Winners of the Blue Flag nomination — Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

In 2021 13 beaches and one yacht marina in Bulgaria have fulfilled the global Blue Flag Standards. Without changing their traditions and high standards that they adhere to, first of all, this is the beach of St. Vlas — Venid Beach. The efforts, ambitions, and investments made in the current and past tourism seasons were consistently successful and have ranked Venid Beach operators among the top tourism managers worldwide. Among the beaches, Marina Dinevi is the only yacht Marina that meets international standards and has been awarded the Blue Flag in Bulgaria — Marina Dinevi.

To qualify for this prestigious award, beach or yacht marina managers must meet and follow some stringent environmental, educational, and safety and access standards.

The beaches of Golden Sands, Sunny Day, Sunny Beach-North, Sunny Beach-Central, Sunny Beach-South, Nessebar-South, Pomorie-East, Sozopol-Central, Sozopol-Harmanite, Duni, Duni-South, and Arkutino were also honored to be awarded.

This year the beaches of Albena and the White Lagoon, as well as the permanent participants — Elenite and Oasis, have dropped out of the Blue Flag program.

Thanks to close collaboration with national member organizations on any issues that may arise, the Environmental Education Foundation works tirelessly to expand the program and ensure that unrivaled Blue Flag standards are adhered to internationally.

At the start of the season, there will be a special Blue Flag-raising ceremony that will give each of these beaches the marketing impact it needs.

A globally-renowned award trusted by millions of people around the world, the Blue Flag program is sponsored by the Environmental Education Foundation and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In Bulgaria, it is represented and managed by the Blue Flag of Bulgaria Movement.

Particular attention in the upcoming summer season, as in the previous one, is paid to the impact of the Covid pandemic, which invariably affects the work of all businesses, in particular tourism. Blue Flag beaches are subject to special measures against the spread of the virus, including in accordance with the criteria of the Program.

The Blue Flag is awarded annually to coastal areas that have achieved the highest water quality, facilities, safety, environmental education, and governance. Over the years, this award has served as an incentive for many managers to improve the quality of their beaches, which has resulted in the overall improvement of the Bulgarian coastline and beaches around the world.

Every year the number of beaches and marinas that receive the Blue Flag status is increasing — more than 4700 flags are posted in 50 countries of the world.