Keys to sustainable water management in tourism
Francisco Rodríguez, coordinator of FITURNEXT and head of tourism at Ideas for Change, highlighted the importance of sustainable water management in this industry at the last edition of FITUR. Among the principles on which tourism should be based to achieve this goal, he cited good visitor practices; simple water efficiency and recycling systems; gamification for better use of the resource; communication; state-of-the-art technology; training; public policies and cross-cutting and multi-sectoral management systems.
Francisco Rodríguez explained that, according to current trends, by 2030 "global demand for freshwater will exceed supply by 40%; and it is estimated that half of the world's population will live in areas of high water stress". Indeed, "many of these areas coincide with the world's top destinations". On the other hand, he indicated that “UN Tourism predicts that water consumption associated with the industry will increase by 23% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, if radical efficiency measures are not implemented”.
According to the FITURNEXT coordinator, the situation could become extremely stressful. “By 2050, three out of four people in the world will be affected by drought. Therefore, “Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.4 aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030”.
Consequences
Rodriguez pointed out some of the environmental, economic and social consequences of water scarcity. In the first area, “it is estimated that 30% of the world's coral reefs are already seriously damaged, and tourism is a direct factor in tropical destinations”. In terms of economic consequences, “the global water crisis could result in an average loss of 8% of global GDP by 2050; and in countries dependent on tourism and with severe shortages, this figure could rise to 15%”. And among the ethical and social consequences, “the loss of ecosystems (wetlands and beaches) directly affects the psychological well-being of residents and the quality of the visitor experience”.
Principles of tourism
Against this background, the expert pointed out some tourism principles for sustainable and responsible water management: “good practices by visitors; simple water efficiency and recycling systems; gamification for a better use of the resource; communication actions by the supply side; state-of-the-art technology (artificial intelligence, digital twins...); training and capacity building; adequate and adapted public policies; and cross-cutting and multi-sectoral management systems.”
Finally, he pointed out some key factors in the search for water sustainability, such as “innovation and technologies as levers for change; data analysis and monitoring; collaborations with the business and associative fabric, and with users; and support from the public sector through regulation”.