The International Jury awarded the Blue Flag to 137 sites in the Southern Hemisphere for the 2018-2019 Blue Flag season, including 96 beaches, 19 marinas and 22 boats. As of 2018, the Blue Flag flies over 3,783 beaches, 698 marinas and 77 boats around the world.
The International Blue Flag Jury meeting took place on 5 September 2018, roughly a year after Hurricane Maria violently hit Puerto Rico and Hurricanes Irma and Jose devastated the Caribbean Islands and parts of the USA in September 2017. Among the countries proudly flying the Blue Flag in the region, Sint Maarten and the US Virgin Islands are still working to reestablish the Blue Flag criteria in the wake of the storms.
The International Blue Flag Jury would like to warmly welcome the return of the United Arab Emirates, who can once again boast Blue Flag awarded sites after two years of absence from the programme.
The full list of awarded sites will be published on 1 November on the International Blue Flag website.
