Thursday, August 18, 2005
Blue Flag Blues...
It's very important, in this age of fickle tourists, that a vacation 
resort should boast a Blue Flag. This announces the availability of an approved, clean stretch of sand for a visitor's recreational use...
Imagine the consternation then, should your resort's Blue Flag status be revoked by the awarding authority.
That could mean repercussions for local businesses - from the grandest hotel to the humblest memento shop. Tourist income is essential for such economies, and the high-earning season is short, even in climates as blessed as that of Portugal's Algarve region.
So, it's little wonder that they're up in arms about losing their Blue flag for Altura beach near Castro Marim, which is in eastern Algarve.
In fact, so incensed are the local Chamber of Commerce (Camara) that they've taken to questioning the competence and impartiality of the Blue Flag auditors! They've even sent back the Blue Flags for two nearby beaches that had them re-awarded.
In the laid-back Algarve, that means things must really be bad!
In dispute are the claimed emissions from the water treatment plant serving Altura and Manta Rota.
It's a 'handbags at 10 paces' stand-off between the Blue Flag Association and the Castro Marim Camara, with the latter claiming that their communications to Blue Flag have gone unanswered.
And it seems that restitution of Altura's Blue Flag won't be enough...
... the Camara members are demanding an apology, too, presumably to display alongside the flag.
It's been a long, hot summer and tempers are fraying, I'd say.
Unfortunately, a period of drought is not the best time to inform tourists that they can't cool off in the sea either.
Let's hope it all works out for the best!
And remember, there are over 100 miles of beautiful Algarve beaches to choose from, if the absence of a blue flag worries you...
resort should boast a Blue Flag. This announces the availability of an approved, clean stretch of sand for a visitor's recreational use...
Imagine the consternation then, should your resort's Blue Flag status be revoked by the awarding authority.
That could mean repercussions for local businesses - from the grandest hotel to the humblest memento shop. Tourist income is essential for such economies, and the high-earning season is short, even in climates as blessed as that of Portugal's Algarve region.
So, it's little wonder that they're up in arms about losing their Blue flag for Altura beach near Castro Marim, which is in eastern Algarve.
In fact, so incensed are the local Chamber of Commerce (Camara) that they've taken to questioning the competence and impartiality of the Blue Flag auditors! They've even sent back the Blue Flags for two nearby beaches that had them re-awarded.
In the laid-back Algarve, that means things must really be bad!
In dispute are the claimed emissions from the water treatment plant serving Altura and Manta Rota.
It's a 'handbags at 10 paces' stand-off between the Blue Flag Association and the Castro Marim Camara, with the latter claiming that their communications to Blue Flag have gone unanswered.
And it seems that restitution of Altura's Blue Flag won't be enough...
... the Camara members are demanding an apology, too, presumably to display alongside the flag.
It's been a long, hot summer and tempers are fraying, I'd say.
Unfortunately, a period of drought is not the best time to inform tourists that they can't cool off in the sea either.
Let's hope it all works out for the best!
And remember, there are over 100 miles of beautiful Algarve beaches to choose from, if the absence of a blue flag worries you...
