Tourists will be glad to know that Europe is making an effort to maintain the cleanliness and health of its waters. The agency responsible for this initiative, the European Environment Agency (EEA), submits its yearly report for the public to view. Tourist destinations across Europe are mandated to submit its water quality analyses to the EEA for an evaluation.
So far so good, in 2011, the agency compiled reports from more than 22,000 bathing destinations and judged whether the water is safe for use. Reports show that 92.1 percent of these places have met the minimum standards of quality. The feedback will go a long way in helping small time resorts in attracting more tourists and vacationers make a good decision.
Europeans are keen on researching travel destinations. They are very particular of the water quality which is a major factor in deciding where to go for the holidays.
The EEA reports that Malta, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus enjoy superior ratings with their bathing sites. 90% of all the locales are a telling sign that the waters are of excellent quality and very much safe for bathing. Furthermore, Spain, Italy, and Portugal had more than 80% of their bathing sites deemed safe to use.
The same cannot be said for the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Latvia, Luxemburg and London. The EEA reports that a low proportion of these destinations have sadly not met quality standards, especially with regards to inland waters.
On the other hand, France may be the lagging behind. It may be that France is the most visited country, yet its waters may not be up to par with its other landmark destinations. France's resorts comprise 16% of the total number of bathing locations, but only two thirds have met the minimum standards this year.
The European Environment Agency has admitted that these problems root from long time issues. Agricultural waste and sewage taint the waters thus making them hazardous to use. Methods and solutions are being found to ensure that the public can enjoy bathing in European waters without the health risks for tourists.