Italian coastal towns earn top sustainability and safety awards

The town of Orbetello in Tuscany was reconfirmed as a winner of the “Spighe Verdi” award, recognising its sustainable development of rural landscapes, environmental care and promotion of local agriculture and tourism.

A separate study by Italian beach operators’ unions found that Italy has the lowest drowning mortality rate among European coastal nations, at 5.7 deaths per million inhabitants, due to a coordinated network of beach establishments and lifeguard services. The research highlighted the country’s “Green Flag” beaches and cited the safety model as a key factor for the 180 million summer beach visitors.