This second White Paper, From Challenges to Solutions, maps water stress and scarcity in the Asia Pacific region against tourism water use;
The paper reviews new evidence to better understand the key drivers for water utilisation in hotels and where management action should be best focussed.
Primary data on hotels are sourced from a survey of hotel operators together with benchmarking data drawn from the international EarthCheck Certification database.
In addition, a comparison of municipal and tourism water use per person per day is undertaken to gain some understanding of the key issues associated with water equity and responsible water management at a destination level.
At present, water is undervalued relative to its true environmental cost, but as this paper shows, this situation is changing in many countries. Water costs are increasing while expectations for more sustainable water use by the tourism industry are growing.
The paper identifies the need for tourism operators, destinations and managers to understand better the implications of increases in water prices alongside issues of availability and quality. There is no clear separation of these three dimensions. Water management initiatives and operational responses which offer multiple benefits are discussed through case studies and survey responses.
The case studies cover a diverse range of measures related to:
- Operations and water management
- Behaviour of staff and visitors
- Technology options
- Alternative water sources
- Destination stewardship
Finally the paper begins to sketch out future challenges and opportunities that the tourism industry must consider. The most important area of operational interest is the water-energy nexus. Water and energy consumption are highly interlinked and this nexus, if handled properly, can bring additional economic benefits which have thus far been neglected.
From Challenges to Solutions speaks directly to the need for the tourism industry to take more affirmative action on responsible water use.
Read the full report HERE
