300 Spanish beaches receive the Q Flag quality certification
13 July, 2022A total of 297 Spanish beaches and 26 water-sports facilities have been certified for their quality thoughout 2022. They received their Q Flags at the end of June, awarded by the Spanish Institute for Tourism Quality (ICTE) after adapting to the international standard UNE-ISO 13009, an indicator endorsed by more than 90 countries.
A total of 113 coastal municipalities have been awarded the Q for Quality, Safe Tourism Certified and S for Sustainable Tourism flags. To receive this recognition, their beaches and ports had to pass an independent audit that guarantees compliance with certain quality, safety and sustainability standards.
The Q Flags ranking is led by Andalusia with 123 beaches, followed by the Valencian Community with 55, the Region of Murcia with 41, the Balearic Islands with 24, Galicia with 19, and Catalonia with 15. The list is completed by Cantabria with 12, Asturias with 3, the Basque Country and Ceuta with 2, and the Canary Islands with 1.
In water sports facilities, Galicia leads the ranking with 15, followed by the Balearic Islands with 5, the Valencian Community with 4, and Andalusia with 2. For Safe Tourism Certified Flags, Andalusia is in first position with 89 certified beaches, followed by the Region of Murcia and the Community of Valencia with 20, the Balearic Islands with 21, the Canary Islands with 7, and Catalonia and Cantabria with 4.
The Balearic Islands have certified 11 water sports facilities, followed by the Community of Valencia with 3, Andalusia with 2, and Murcia with 1. In addition, 15 beaches in Marbella have obtained the S Flag for Sustainable Tourism, which has been awarded this year for the first time.