As of this past weekend, Las Canteras, the main beach and pride of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, can fly two flags – The Blue Flag, awarded by the Foundation of the Environmental Education and the Q, given by the Institute for Tourism Quality of Spain (ICTE). The beach is the only one in the Canary Islands to hold this dual distinction, which is a testament to its environmental cleanliness combined with social measures curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Tourism quality means much more in 2020
Receiving the two certifications now means that the authorities of the Grancanarian capital can feel confident that they can offer the tourist and local beachgoers a unique seaside experience. Visitors can feel assured that Las Canteras will provide a balanced mixture of safety, quality and sustainability.
José Eduardo Ramírez, Councillor of Economic Promotion, affirmed: “Now, due to the health crisis we are experiencing, we must commit ourselves much more to taking care of ourselves, taking care of others and respecting the natural environment, both the sand and the sea, in the main summer leisure spaces that we have, our beaches, not only in Las Canteras, but in all of them. It is up to us individually and collectively [to make sure] that there are no [COVID] outbreaks”.
All of that means, that apart from issues of environmental sustainability and protection, the beach authorities have assured that there are mechanisms in place allowing for:
- Regular water quality checks and reporting,
- Information, which raises awareness and helps prevention, to be effectively communicated to the public,
- Lifeguard services which are professional and adapted,
- The continuation of hygienic maintenance of beach equipment,
- The placement and indication of designated entry and exit points,
- Adaptation of the waste-removal services.
Additionally, the walking path that links the El Atlante monument to the El Confital beach and passes behind Las Canteras beach also received a certification as a Blue Pathway, only the second such in the Canary Islands.
Source: TheMayor.EU