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George Municipality retains Three Blue Flags

In the photo on the left, Andre Blaine V&A Waterfront Executive Manager Marine & Industrial and far right Wessa CEO Cindy Lee Cloete presented the George Blue Flag awards to George Manager Parks and Recreation Nosidima Vumindaba and MMC for Community Services Marchell Kleynhans.

George Municipality has proudly retained Blue Flag status for Wilderness Main, Herold’s Bay, and Victoria Bay beaches following the national awards ceremony hosted by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) in Cape Town on Monday, 28 October 2024. Leentjiesklip Beach continues as a Pilot Blue Flag Beach, while Gwaiing Beach and River Mouth received the Green Coast Award, recognizing sustainable management at this biodiverse site.

Nosidima Vumindaba, George Municipality’s Manager of Parks and Recreation, and Cllr Marchell Kleynhans, MMC for Community Services, accepted the awards on behalf of the municipality. Vumindaba highlighted the benefits of Blue Flag and Green Coast status for enhancing local tourism, protecting coastal ecosystems, and raising environmental awareness. “Blue Flag status has international significance,” Vumindaba stated. “These accolades help establish our city and district as top tourism destinations. We are grateful for the partnership with SANParks Garden Route National Park, which shares management of Wilderness Beach with us.”

The Blue Flag season will run from 1 December 2024 to 31 January 2025, requiring high standards in water quality, public safety, and facility maintenance. The Green Coast Award, launched in 2017, is given to coastal sites with high biodiversity, promoting community engagement in managing these natural areas. These awards reinforce George Municipality’s reputation as a leading, eco-friendly tourism destination on South Africa’s coastline.

ABOUT BLUE FLAG:

  • The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
  • In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.
  • With over 4500 sites in over 45 countries around the world, Blue Flag is actively contributing to the sustainable development goals. Blue Flag also campaigns against disparity, inequality, unemployment, health threats, depletion of natural resources, environmental threats, pollution and general environmental degradation.
  • In South Africa, Blue Flag has been operational since 2001 and has proud municipal, marina and tourism boat partners in 18 coastal municipalities around the country.
  • Blue Flag is voluntary, which shows a very strong commitment to environmental sustainability from those municipalities, marinas and tourism boat operators that are awarded annually. All properties and companies that apply for the Blue Flag award are assessed by a South African National Jury as well as by the Blue Flag International Jury in Europe.

ABOUT GREEN COAST:

  • Based on the success of the Blue Flag eco-label and the recognition that Blue Flag is only applicable to a limited stretch of urban coastline, WESSA developed a second coastal award for implementation along South Africa’s coastline. The Green Coast Award, officially launched in 2017, is an annual award programme that recognises inclusive and sustainable management at less-developed coastal sites with high biodiversity value.
  • Green Coast is a platform for collaboration, innovation, and local public participation in coastal management. Successful coastal sites achieve Green Coast status by meeting a set of criteria that are designed to ensure environmental, developmental and participatory standards are continually maintained and improved. Where possible, Green Coast sites aim to include a resident’s association or public group that can mobilise active citizens to participate in the management of the site. The Green Coast criteria include aspects of basic ecological monitoring, encouraging citizen science initiatives that empower communities for civic action and influence localised decision-making. Coastal areas with Green Coast status appeal to a specific sector of the tourism market that is looking for experiences in adventure, outdoor living, and nature tourism along our coastline. The Green Coast Award assists these sites by putting them on the tourism map and promoting them all under one national eco-label.
Mike Denison Senior Programme Manager for Green Coast, Andre Blaine V&A Waterfront Executive Manager Marine & Industrial, George Manager Parks and Recreation Nosidima Vumindaba, MMC Community Services Marchell Kleynhans and Wessa CEO Cindy Lee Cloete at the presentation of the 2024 Green Coast Award for Gwaiing Beach and River Mouth.