Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis yesterday presided over a ceremony which awarded the Blue Flag status to nine different beaches which are managed by Malta.
Blue Flag is a certificate of quality given by the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The FEE in Malta is represented by Nature Trust.
According to Dr Zammit Lewis, the Blue Flag status represents not just quality, but also indicates a move towards sustainable tourism. He explained how this concept is a leading pillar in the National Tourism Policy 2015-2020, launched in the previous year. This principle is based upon the idea that what is enjoyed today, should be safeguarded and preserved for generations to come.
Dr Zammit Lewis said that although Malta is a small country, and the number of flags cannot be high, "we need to continue investing in this area, and increase the number of swimming zones which fly the Blue Flag."
"Year after year this ceremony used to take place at St. Julian's Bay, a bay which has become a Malta Tourism Authority project. It was the first bay to fly the Blue Flag. In light of this, it has remained the symbol of managed bays and of Blue Flags statuses in this country. Today we are at Golden Bay, certainly one of the most beautiful bays in Malta. It has received, for the first time, the Blue Flag certificate of quality...I would like to thank the environmental, development and lands division authorities who assisted and coordinated to help bring the Blue Flag to this bay," Minister Zammit Lewis said.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/1Wy4ZXU
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