Perceptions of beachgoers and beach managers on the Blue Flag Award : the case of KwaZulu-Natal beaches

Abstract

The tourism industry has faced a massive growth in the previous years with the beach ecosystem being the most popular scene of leisure and recreation. With this growth comes undisputed environmental impacts such as solid waste, noise and air pollution, unattractive landscapes and erosion on the beach ecosystem. It is to this effect that the Blue Flag certification has been adopted by many coastal municipalities to mitigate the negative environmental impacts that tourism and recreation expose. KwaZuluNatal has a minimal number of beaches with the award and literature has proved that the awareness and knowledge of the award among beach users is sparse. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive examination of the Blue Flag status of KwaZuluNatal from a sustainable development perspective. Moreover, the study aims to assess the attitudes, awareness and the knowledge of the Blue Flag award amongst beachgoers and municipality managers as well the barriers facing the adoption of the Blue Flag in KwaZulu-Natal. A mixed method approach was used in this study and data was collected by means of structured self-administered questionnaires and semi structured interviews. The results indicated that the knowledge on the Blue Flag award by beachgoers is sparse. It was also evident that the award come with both benefits and challenges but when challenges are combated it leads to benefits. It is therefore recommended that municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal attain the award to ensure conservation and economic benefits. The research conducted is anticipated to be highly beneficial towards the improvement and reinforcement of the Blue Flag award in the country and it will perpetrate the need for environmental education and awareness of the award among beachgoers.