The document discusses a new industry standard called the Clean Blue Industry Standard for beach management and safety in Greece. It aims to help beach operators better manage beaches in a sustainable way through consistent best practices. The Clean Blue Med consultancy team assists hotel and beachfront property owners in implementing the standard to improve beach safety, compliance, marketing and funding opportunities. Their process involves conducting risk assessments, identifying beach activities and facilities, and producing action plans to prioritize improvements.

1. THE PRODUCT
HELPING With Greece possessing some of Europe’s finest beaches, it is unsurprising that thou-
THE PRIVATE SECTOR sands of people want to come and enjoy them every year. However, with an increasing
trend for sustainability of tourism products and the need for diversifying beach recreational
TO MARKET activity for tourists, efforts are needed to adopt to growing consumers demands.
GREEK BEACHES It is of paramount importance that the beaches and nearshore areas are well managed to
AND WATERFRONTS ensure the safety and enjoyment of today’s users as well as future generations. Therefore,
the need for compliance to a new industry standard for beach management and safety
(ISO 13009 - referred to here as the “Clean Blue Industry Standard” - CBIS), is required to
help provide beach operators with the information and guidance to effectively manage the
beaches of Greece.
Historically, there have been no specific standards for beaches and very little guidance for
beach management to help operators determine and plan for beach management. As a
result, many of the beaches have not been developed or managed in a sustainable way,
resulting in user conflicts and often a negative beach visitor experience. This Clean Blue In-
dustry Standard is the first of its kind, not only in the Greece, but worldwide. This industry
standard is in a position to set a world benchmark for beach management and safety.
The aim of this industry standard is to help beach operators make better-informed deci-
sions about managing the beaches they are responsible for using a consistent and best
practice based-approach. As well as general beach management, the industry standard
includes other important aspects, such as national actions plans, beach safety education
and information, signage, access and zoning, supervision and rescue and beach facilities
(referred collectively as “comfort services”).
THE “CLEAN BLUE MED” APPROACH
The Clean Blue Med consultancy team (part of a global “Clean Blue” initiative covering Af-
rica, Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific regions) is the only firm in the world that is purposely
established to help provide services to help deliver beach management, environmental
planning and engineering advice for beach hotel owners and managers. The approach is
valuable to help beach hotels to keep at the forefront of international standard compliance
and from this, design improved marketing strategies to communicate new future improve-
ments to the beach and waterfront areas.
The “Clean Blue Med” team assist hotel owners and beach front property managers by
preparing a bespoke consultancy service to help implement the new ISO 13009 Standard
on “Beach Services” and from this to help clients realise this potential from a marketing
perspective. Compliance to ISO 13009 (Beach Services) will help significantly towards
generating both media and public interest in your resort or hotel. This in turn will help
secure public funding for future improvements to the surrounding beach area which may
be out of your direct control and influence.

2. By adhering to the advice provided by the “Clean Blue Med” team, clients will be
able to:
HELPING
• Receive an independent assessment of your beach to ensure quality assurance and
THE PRIVATE SECTOR safety compliance/liability issues that may arise based on activities taking place on them;
TO MARKET • Raise the profile of your beaches and marinas and have faith that brochure statements
are factually correct and will not expose the client to any liability related claims (through
GREEK BEACHES risk assessment work);
• Save money by only introducing beach activities/features that are requested by guests/
AND WATERFRONTS visitors (through a bespoke customer satisfaction questionnaire process);
• Receive action plans to help you in your future planning for the maintenance and develop-
ment of the beach area;
• Benefit from travel media coverage highlighting your success;
• Enhance local and regional tourism strategies on implementing the ISO 13009 Beach
Services Standard;
• Be in a position to secure additional funding for the improvement of defined beach assets
nearby.
THE CLEAN BLUE MED SERVICES:
THE APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE, COMPLIANT
AND COST EFFECTIVE BEACH MANAGEMENT
One of the main problems for the beach tourism business is competition and marketing
continuity. There are clear risks associated with not undertaking standardisation to beach
safety and management in Greece. Many of these risks will not just affect the beach
experience for residents and visitors, but also the economic and social fabric of Greece as
a whole.
There are many potential risks in maintaining the status quo and not undertaking a
standards based approach to managing the beaches of Greece. Below are just a few
examples:
ECONOMIC IMPACT
• Lose out to neighbouring competition – the Mediterranean, as a region, provides a wide
consumer choice on good quality beach holidays;
• Poor beach tourism development planning – insensitive landscaping, “views to the sea”,
vistas and badly designed coastal engineering structures;
• Investment in the tourism product reduced;
• Negative portrayal in the media.
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
• Not meeting visitor and local expectations (based on customer satisfaction surveys etc);
• Health and Safety – accidents and illness (need for clear incident reporting procedures
etc);
• Residents staying away from the beach – perceptions challenged;
• Reputation for criminal and nuisance activity.

3. The Clean Blue approach enables the tourist industry itself to demonstrate a duty of care
to its guests, and its local community living nearby and who use the beaches. Specific
HELPING signage, education packages, beach clean up programmes and awareness procedures
can all be designed for the hotel group or resort, and is based on specific risk assessments
THE PRIVATE SECTOR carried out by qualified staff from the “Clean Blue” team.
TO MARKET The “Clean Blue” Industry Standard for beach management and safety when fol-
lowed shall help to:
GREEK BEACHES
AND WATERFRONTS • Give consistency and credibility to beach management issues through a risk assess-
ment and customer satisfaction survey approach (Step 1);
• Provide recommended “best practice” which can then influence existing legislation;
• Harmonise national practices into global systems;
• Provide impetus towards the need for a legal duty to provide beach safety service s;
• Help to improve understanding & beach related information (duty of care provision);
• Increase the diversity of recreational products/services and beach access requests to
bathing areas.
THE CLEAN BLUE TEAM HELP CLIENTS
TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN A STRUCTURED
AND “STEPPED” WAY AS IDENTIFIED BELOW:
STEP 1
Conduct a beach risk assessment/Customer Satisfaction survey
STEP 2
Identify beach classification type through the risk assessment:
(1) High Activity
(2) Low Activity
STEP 3
Select appropriate beach management and safety standards advice based on the areas
identified through the risk assessment, namely:
(1) Education and Information
(2) Signage, Access and Zoning
(3) Supervision and Rescue
(4) Beach Facilities (Comfort Services)
STEP 4
Produce an “action plan” for each beach, prioritising high activity beaches or for actions
requiring national implementation
STEP 5
Implement Clean Blue Industry Standard
STEP 6
Monitor, review and revise as necessary (annually)
*STEP BY STEP FLOW DIAGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE PRINCIPAL OPERATOR APPROACH TO CLEAN BLUE
INDUSTRY STANDARD IMPLEMENTATION.

4. SERVICES PROVIDED
HELPING BY THE CLEAN BLUE TEAM
THE PRIVATE SECTOR
PRODUCT 1
TO MARKET BEACH RISK ASSESSMENT AND CUSTOMER SURVEY
GREEK BEACHES
AND WATERFRONTS PRODUCT 2
INNOVATION STRATEGY
• Researching consumer trends
• Beach ownership and legal issues (compliance to National Strategic Planning Laws etc);
• Beach Planning ideas workshop
• Action plans for the future
PRODUCT 3
COMFORT SERVICES ADVICE
• Strategic Plan for a resorts comfort services and/or recreational activities (beach access
routes etc)
• Shower or washing facilities;
• Beach cleaning techniques;
Horsley, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 0NY, T.: +44 (0)1661 854 255, E. j.mccue@ctl-consult.com
• Changing facilities;
• Drinking fountains/facilities;
• Waste disposal provision (grey water disposal and bins);
• Beach furniture
• Vendor facilities and permitting
2. Greece, Greenhotels, Lori Margariti 9, 54622 Thessaloniki T. +30 2310 265544
• Toilets;
• Lockers;
• Beach Lighting and shade structures.
• Recreational games/sports equipment
1. UK, CTL-Consult Ltd, 9 Stephenson House, Horsley Business Centre,
PRODUCT 4
BEACH ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES
• Coastal defence and flood prevention measures
• Engineering drawings and structure design
• Consenting Compliance to National Building Codes and Regulations
• Beach nourishment and sediment recycling
PRODUCT 5
E. info@greenhotels.gr, Skype: milonas.sotiris
BEACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES
• Training and education for tour operators/hotels
• Zoning (buoy placement etc)
• Signage (placement and construction/maintenance)
• Supervision and rescue services (lifeguard infrastructure/vehicles/incident reporting etc)
• EIA and environmental monitoring / data collection services
PRODUCT 6
MARKETING AND FINANCE SERVICES
• Information management (IT, data collection, surveys, supply chain, database design etc)
• Cost recovery advice (sponsorship opportunities/equipment sharing etc)
• Beach tourism marketing techniques (communications plan / CSR etc)