Four Icelandic whale watching operators have been acknowledged into the respected Blue Flag environmental programme. They are the first companies of their kind to receive the Blue Flag, which until this year focused on beaches and marinas in their member countries.
The Icelandic tour operators are Elding, Special Tours and Whale Safari, all based in Reyjavík, and Ambassador that is located in Akureyri town in North Iceland.
The Blue Flag programme was launched in 1985 in France and is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and has headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. FEE is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia, North America and South America.
This year Blue Flag expanded its field of operations beyond the shore to acknowledge also tour operators offering boating activities such as diving, nature watching, whale watching, recreational fishing and charter trips. According to the pogramme’s website tour operators must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria to qualify for the Blue Flag. The criteria concerns environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and services, social responsibility and responsible tourism.
Iceland’s national operator for Blue Flag is Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, which is a national non-governmental organisation.
Four Icelandic whale watching operators have been acknowledged into the respected Blue Flag environmental programme. They are the first companies of their kind to receive the Blue Flag, which until this year focused on beaches and marinas in their member countries.
The Icelandic tour operators are Elding, Special Tours and Whale Safari, all based in Reyjavík, and Ambassador that is located in Akureyri town in North Iceland.
The Blue Flag programme was launched in 1985 in France and is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and has headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. FEE is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia, North America and South America.
This year Blue Flag expanded its field of operations beyond the shore to acknowledge also tour operators offering boating activities such as diving, nature watching, whale watching, recreational fishing and charter trips. According to the pogramme’s website tour operators must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria to qualify for the Blue Flag. The criteria concerns environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and services, social responsibility and responsible tourism.
Iceland’s national operator for Blue Flag is Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, which is a national non-governmental organisation.
