The total number of Italian beaches to receive the prestigious Blue Flag Award for cleanliness and sustainability rises even more than last year, the international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) said on Monday.
Home to 27 Blue Flag beaches, Liguria is followed by Tuscany, with 19 beaches, while Le Marche rounds out the top three with 17 beaches.
In the 30th edition of the awards, Italy's total Blue Flag beaches rises to 342, making up 5 per cent of the global total.
Campania is home to 15 Blue Flag beaches this year with a new location, Sapri, making the cut.
Puglia also maintains its Blue Flag status with 11 beaches, while eight Abruzzo beaches are now recognised, including two new locations: Giulianova and Roseto degli Abruzzi.
Emilia Romagna drops one Blue Flag beach, but still boasts six beaches on the list.
Veneto and Lazio both maintain their eight Blue Flag locations from 2016, while the island of Sardinia is home to 11, and Sicily now hosts to seven, after Santa Teresa di Riva joins the list.
Calabria has two new entries this year, Roseto Capo Spulico and Soverato, making for a total of seven, while Molise loses one and falls to two overall.
Fruili Venezia Giulia and Basilicata both maintain two Blue Flags beaches respectively.
FEE Italy President Claudio Mazza said 2017 is showing an upward trend in Blue Flag sites across the peninsula.
Mazza added that the trend indicates how local governments have embraced new challenges for sustainable development, "putting the land-sea connection at the forefront".
"The health of the sea is directly correlated with how the land is managed," he concluded.
Launched in 1987, the FEE's Blue Flag program refers to a set of strict criteria regarding water quality, environmental education and management, beach safety and services to monitor sustainable development of beaches and marinas worldwide.
