The authorities of Sochi have decided to abandon the Blue Flag international environmental certification in 2022.
The decision is due to the current political situation. Instead of the Blue Flag certification system, standards created by Rostourism will be used. This was reported by Interfax.
“Sochi has accumulated tremendous experience in successfully hosting the holiday season in the context of coronavirus restrictions. We pay special attention to the fulfillment of sanitary requirements on the beaches and their improvement in general. Given the political situation, this year we are refusing to receive the Blue Flags and are switching to Russian standards of Rostourism”, Sochi Mayor Alexei Kopaygorodsky said.
It is emphasized that the standards created by Rostourism are more tougher than international requirements. At the same time, the Mayor of Sochi assures that the beach areas of Sochi are fully prepared to comply with Russian standards.