Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A new coastal safety campaign in Ostend features street theatre, videos, and messages in 10 languages. It involves IKWV, West Flanders, and Minister Melissa Depraetere to protect 18 million visitors.
As VRT News reported, a new campaign has been launched in Ostend to improve safety and cleanliness along the Belgian coast, a popular spot for tourists. Flemish Minister Melissa Depraetere attended the launch, pointing out that the coast attracts millions of visitors every year.
According to officials, the campaign is a joint effort with the coastal rescue service, the province of West Flanders, and other organisations. They plan to educate and entertain people through street theatre and a video series. They mentioned that the goal is to encourage responsible behaviour and ensure everyone enjoys the coast safely, without being overly instructional.
How is the Belgian coast making beaches safer and cleaner?
According to officials, one part of the campaign involves a comedy duo, Kartie Kilo. They’ll be doing funny shows on the beach to get people to throw their trash away properly. The other part is a series of videos.
These videos will talk about how to swim safely, why beach litter is bad, and what to do if a child gets lost. The main idea is to help everyone enjoy the coast more safely and to remind people that keeping the coast nice is something everyone needs to help with.
“We want to make parents aware that they have to keep a close eye on their children on the beach and in the sea”,
Says An Beun of the coastal rescue service IKWV.
“It is not only the responsibility of the rescuers, it is primarily that of the parents.
Officials mentioned that rescuers might say things like “come closer” or “move a bit.” These instructions are small but very important for staying safe and helping rescuers do their job quickly.
They said that if everyone listens and follows these instructions, it will be easier for lifeguards to keep everyone safe. With lots of people visiting the coast in summer, and with the weather and sea changing, these small actions can make a big difference in helping people.
“We will post the videos on all social media channels. We hope that this will increase accessibility and understanding,”
An Beun said.
This year’s coastal safety campaign is different because it uses many languages. In the past, it only used 4 languages: Dutch, French, German, and English. Now, it includes 10 languages, like Ukrainian, Polish, and Arabic. The aim, says An Beun from the coastal rescue service, is to give safety messages in people’s languages right on the beach.
He mentioned that this helps everyone understand the safety rules. The campaign uses videos, screens, and announcements to share information. This way, everyone can understand the safety messages, making the beach safer for everyone during busy times.
