Blue Flag beach certification: an environmental management tool or tourism promotional tool?

Beach certification schemes, such as Blue Flag, have become prevalent in the current literature as a beach management tool that is said to bridge the gap between recreation and conservation. Ontario's Great Lakes beaches offer services that are vitally important for both environmental and economic benefit and recent policy and governance actions across multiple levels of government are recognising the importance of protecting beaches along the Great Lakes. This research builds upon various past studies of beach certification to examine whether the Blue Flag certification in Ontario is being used as an environmental management tool to protect a tourism resource or more for tourism promotion. Twenty-two interviews were conducted with beach managers in Ontario to determine the effectiveness of Blue Flag. Findings indicate that the certification system is perceived more as a tourism promotional tool rather than an environmental management or protection tool.