Sustainable Tourism and Enhancement of Coastal Areas. The Role of Blue Flags

The aim of the work is to illustrate the role of environmental certifications within the sustainable tourism policies of the territories. After a first part of a theoretical nature, the study focuses on the analysis of one of the best known and most widespread practices of environmental certification for tourism - the Blue Flag - in relation to the Ionian coast of Calabria in southern Italy. The analysis conducted through a questionnaire administered directly to administrators and Blue Flag representatives of the eight Calabrian municipalities analyzes the benefits and importance of this recognition and, above all, how it is perceived by local actors.