Cyprus missed eight prestigious Blue Flag eco-awards in the 2026 beach season

The national committee responsible for awarding international environmental honors has published a new report showing that the coastal recreational areas of the Republic of Cyprus have demonstrated a decline in compliance with strict global standards. In the 2026 beach season, the island missed eight Blue Flags, which previously had been awarded annually to confirm the immaculate cleanliness of seawater, a high level of safety and well-developed coastal infrastructure. This reduction in the number of certified locations has sent an unwelcome signal to the tourism industry, which traditionally uses this status as its main argument for attracting foreign travelers.
The decline in the overall number of awarded beaches is due to tighter selection criteria on the part of the international federation, as well as local problems with waste management and accessibility in some municipal coastal areas. During inspections at several sites, experts found non-compliance with requirements for the quality of regular microbiological water testing, a lack of the required number of certified lifeguard towers and problems with organizing separate waste collection. Nevertheless, despite losing several positions, Cyprus still holds one of the leading places in Europe in terms of the density of clean beaches per capita, and most popular resort areas successfully retained their awards.
Representatives of local municipalities and the Ministry of Tourism have already responded to the publication of the report, announcing the launch of emergency inspections in coastal areas that lost the eco-label. The authorities intend to promptly eliminate all violations recorded by inspectors, upgrade sanitary areas and strengthen control over seawater quality in order to regain the lost positions by the next assessment cycle. The full official list of Cypriot beaches that retained the prestigious Blue Flag status this season, as well as the list of problem areas, has been published on the state information portal for visitors to review.