The event addresses Sustainability, Health and Safety in the development and management of beaches with the intervention of experts, companies and public institutions that will share their experience and commitment to the future of the environment.

The Cabildo de Gran Canaria is promoting a meeting organised by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) and Infecar, with the collaboration of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the departments of Tourism and Ciudad de Mar, and with the support of universities and entities from Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Portugal, as well as international organisations.

Gran Canaria will host next November the ‘International Blue Flag Congress: Sustainability, Health and Safety’, an event promoted by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and co-organised by Infecar and the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), with the collaboration of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the departments of Tourism and Ciudad de Mar. The presentations and round table discussions will take place at the fairgrounds on 2 and 3 November, while the 4th is reserved for a day of workshops on the beach of Las Canteras.

The meeting will be held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which receives this baton for its experience in the management of its coastline and the prestige of Las Canteras, one of the most highly valued urban beaches for its quality, which has been awarded the Blue Flag 34 times, and an icon for citizens and tourists on the island of Gran Canaria. Gran Canaria has also been awarded the Blue Flag on 11 of its other beaches.

The International Blue Flag Congress is conceived by the organisation as an event in which to delve into the development of a new concept of beaches: a way of conceiving these environments under the guidelines defined by Sustainability, Health and Safety, under the commitment to guarantee their environmental and personal quality in the future. The Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), responsible for the Blue Flag programme in Spain, brings together in this action the support of different public and private entities that pursue the same goals. The congress will allow, in a framework of international collaboration, to increase the training of professionals involved in the development and management of beaches.

In this sense, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, as host of the event, demonstrates its commitment to the care of its beaches, where 12 blue flags will fly in 2022. Some of them have a long tradition with this annual award and a system of environmental quality certification developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and which in Spain is managed by ADEAC. This is the case of Las Canteras beach, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which has raised the Blue Flag 34 times since 1989.

The audience of the congress

The International Blue Flag Congress is aimed at representatives of international, national and municipal entities and institutions interested in the Blue Flag programme, as well as technicians and service professionals with responsibilities on beaches in the fields of legislation, education, attention to diversity, safety or emergencies and lifeguarding.
The programme is also of interest to representatives of companies collaborating in the initiative and, in general, those whose activity is directly related to the services provided in the management of the beach environment.

The programme

The programme of presentations and round tables of the congress covers two days, in morning and afternoon sessions: those of 2 and 3 November, at Infecar. Over the two days, different experts and public authorities will present their views on issues affecting the Blue Flag educational programme, sustainable tourism, the value of the Blue Flag for tourist destinations and the impact of this distinction in areas such as economic, social and tourism.

In addition, the experiences of experts in the public and private sectors and various destinations, on beaches throughout Spain and in actions carried out internationally, will be shared. At this point, the management and actions carried out on the beaches of Gran Canaria will also be presented.
Safety, on issues such as drowning prevention, lifeguarding, civil protection and emergencies, will also have an important place at this event at Infecar. As well as issues related to Health on the beaches. And everything related to Sustainability, Environmental Education, the application of technology in beach management, the inclusion of all people or the regulatory framework affecting beaches in the European Union.

In general, the congress will make it possible to observe and even define the future stakes for beaches, the need to adopt good practices in several of these fundamental areas and the exchange of ideas and experiences on the basis of real cases of success in terms of a sustainable, safe and healthy commitment to beaches.

The congress will be open to the presentation of papers in the format of Panels-Panels related to the criteria under which the Blue Flag programme is promoted. Accepted proposals will be supported by the scientific committee.

Objectives

The International Blue Flag Congress aims, fundamentally, to collaborate decisively in the construction of a new concept for the management of beaches under the premises of Sustainability, Health and Safety.
Thus, among its objectives is the exchange of information and experiences between international, national and municipal representatives, technicians and professionals of the services with responsibilities in beaches. And, as a final aim, to initiate a network of collaboration between state, regional, municipal, university, professional and business entities to advance in the achievement of these goals.

Organising committee and scientific committee

The organising committee of the International Blue Flag Congress is headed by José Palacios Aguilar, president of ADEAC, and includes representatives of the different public administrations involved in its organisation and implementation.

The congress is supported in its contents by a scientific committee coordinated by Silvia Aranda García (National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia, University of Barcelona), to which up to 48 doctors are attached and in which 24 universities, university hospitals and professional bodies are represented.

Universities and entities that endorse the congress

The International Blue Flag Congress is supported by the Canary Islands 1500 kilometres of Coast – Drowning Prevention Campaign; the Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Motricity of the Autonomous University of Madrid; the Department of Physical and Sports Education of the University of A Coruña; the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; the Faculty of Sports Science and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra (Portugal); the Federation of Associations of Sports Managers of Spain (FAGDE); the Grupo de Enseñanza, Desarrollo e Investigación en Salvamento Acuático- GEDISA (Mexico); the Grupo de Investigación Actividad Física, Educación y Salud of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; the Grupo de Investigación en Actividades Acuáticas y Socorrismo of the Universidade da Coruña; the Performance and Motricity in Lifesaving and Lifeguarding Research Group of the University of Vigo; the International Group of Prevention and Lifeguarding Activities (GIAPS); the Sociedade Brasileira de Salvamento Aquático-SOBRASA (Brazil); Sportis-Formación Deportiva; and the Universidad Atlántida Argentina.

Find out all the details of the programme and register for free here.