Divi Little Bay Beach Resort gets lots of compliments on its beach. Newcomers and long-time repeat guests value the lovely arc of sand, but they rarely see the work that goes into maintaining it. If guests rise early, they might catch a glimpse of the new equipment that grooms the sand or observe work crews making sure the area is spotless for guests. Behinds the scenes, Divi monitors water quality, implements safety procedures and conducts environmental awareness training with its staff. In fact, there is a check list of 37 things members of the staff at Divi Little Bay Resort do routinely to ensure the beach is a winner, not only for guests but to earn the Blue Flag, an international eco-label. On December 7, the Blue Flag was raised on Little Bay Beach at Divi, signifying the second consecutive year the resort has been recognized for environmental management of the beach.

The flag was handed over by Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Romeo Pantophlet together with local Blue Flag Coordinator Rueben Thompson of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation and partner St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. Divi General Manager Celine van Meer was on hand to accept the flag. The flag will fly for one year, when the honor must be earned again. Little Bay Beach at Divi is the only beach in all of the Netherlands Antilles to be honored with the Blue Flag.

Van Meer spoke at the flag raising ceremony, noting that the clear water, clean sand and abundance of fish and sea turtles in the bay are a part of the Divi Little Bay experience. “To merit the recognition a second year in a row bears witness to the keen sense of purpose and inspired dedication all of us at Divi share in caring for this beach.”

Divi Resorts president EJ Schanfarber has often referred to the people working at Divi’s ten resorts across the Caribbean as “stewards of the land.” The Blue Flag is evidence that indeed they are!