Myths, misconceptions and the true value of Blue Flag

Abstract Beach Certification Schemes (BCS), especially the Blue Flag (BF), have received increasing attention in the literature. The critics of BF focus their attention on aspects that certification was not designed for, confusing its role as a beach management tool with a panacea for all challenges faced by tourist beaches. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to review empirical studies on aspects that generate controversy, and to provide arguments and new perspectives on the role and scope of BF and BCS. The paper also identifies research gaps and proposes directions of future studies. The issues are discussed through six major themes highlighting the true value of Blue Flag for urban, village and rural beaches. The paper calls for more empirical and comprehensive studies that evaluate beaches before and after BF implementation, documenting the differences BF has made to specific beaches and entire beach destinations including their economic and political context.