The prestigious Blue Marina Awards have been presented to the Marina di Cala dei Sardi, an award given to port facilities that stand out for their innovation, commitment to sustainability, high-quality hospitality, and rigorous safety measures.
The event, part of the Barcolana race, celebrated the dedication of recreational boating facilities to excellence in the Italian port industry. Conceived and coordinated by Walter Vassallo and promoted by Assonautica Italiana and ASSONAT, with technical support from RINA, the initiative saw the participation of over 100 ports from all over Italy. The results of this edition have been defined as extraordinary. Among the marina resorts, tourist ports, and tourist landings, 34 have exceeded the required score threshold to obtain the prestigious recognition.
“It is a great satisfaction,” declares Simone Morelli, the patron of Cala dei Sardi, “that certifies the great work of tourist reception, integration into the territory, and environmental respect that we have pursued from the beginning. We now have the honor of hoisting the Blue Marina Awards flag in our eco-marina. Not a destination but a stimulus to improve and continue on the path we have set.”
“The Blue Marina Awards represent an extraordinary opportunity for our maritime economy,” explains Walter Vassallo, the creator and coordinator of the Blue Marina Awards. “They not only promote excellence in port facilities but also have a positive impact on businesses related to tourist reception, innovation, sustainability, and safety. Furthermore, these awards, like the Blue Flags for beach resorts, help change the collective imagination’s perception of our ports and landings from mere boat parking to high-quality reception facilities.”
“A result beyond expectations with three times the participation compared to the first edition,” the President of Assonautica Italiana, Giovanni Acampora says with satisfaction. “This testifies to the willingness of ports and tourist landings to challenge themselves and elevate their standards. The Blue Marina Awards have indeed provided an overview of the state of Italian port facilities in over a hundred evaluation criteria, ranging from tourist reception to safety, from innovation to sustainability. A journey that has been surrounded by excellent partners and will continue to cover various parts of Italy, but there is already consideration of extending the award to Europe.”