Rabat – Morocco’s Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection awarded 27 beaches with the coveted Blue Flag recognition.
“The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators,” states the Blue Flag Foundation.
“In order to qualify for this prestigious award, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria must be met and maintained,” the organization’s website adds.
The recognized beaches span from Morocco’s northern coast in Tangier to the southernmost beaches of Dakhla. In addition, the foundation named the Marina of Saidia as a Blue Flag recipient.
Although the majority of beaches stretch along the Atlantic Coast, the foundation awarded many of Morocco’s Mediterannean beaches as well.
A press release from the foundation stated “the Blue Flag label induces an improvement in beach management and prepares the municipalities responsible for it for additional organizational efforts.”
COVID-19 affected tourism and sanitation regulations greatly. Morocco has worked diligently to ensure its tourism sector can gradually return to normal.
In July 2020, Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Aziz Rabbah, announced two new projects: Adopting the Beach and Waste Fishing. Both projects focused on cleaning up Moroccan beaches and improving the water quality for beachgoers.
Read also: National Report: 9 Out of 10 Moroccan Beaches Are Clean
The Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection recognized 26 beaches in 2020 as meeting the “Blue Flag” standard and the recognition of 27 Moroccan beaches is a symbol of the kingdom’s commitment to global cleanliness standards.
The international organization currently recognizes 4,820 beaches and marinas in 49 countries globally.
