This key conflict is highlighted in the WTM Tourism and Water Report 2007 released on WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, in conjunction with the report’s compilers the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University.
Key report findings
Those hotels that are engaging in activity to conserve water are making a real difference to the local communities as they recognise that clean water improves health, education and quality of life
The key issue facing the industry is where water is diverted to meet the requirements of tourists, it can severely deplete local aquifers and drain water courses, leaving local people short of water. Large resort developments require significant amounts of water which are extracted from the local boreholes. In areas of water scarcity this reduces the amount of water available for local people. The tourism industry is able to pay more for water than locals. It is the poor who go short of water.
As Nelson Mandela commented at the 2002 at the Earth Summit : “No water, no future.”
The European Environment Agency has highlighted that “in the Mediterranean, it is not uncommon for a tourist to use on average over four times as much water as a local resident.”
Water literacy
The report cites the need for ‘water literacy’ – educating tourists, hotels owners, staff and local people about the importance of water conservation and how to approach water conservation measures.
As Harold Goodwin of the ICRT comments: “Reducing the consumption of water by tourists and tourism businesses can be achieved through a combination of behavioural, operational and technological changes, many of which are not costly to instigate and are barely noticed by guests, but these changes have a big impact on water use and associated costs. That the tourism industry is not doing more is surprising and somewhat depressing.”
Apathy needs to be eradicated
There is still though a high level of apathy from hoteliers as illustrated by the numbers who responded to the survey for the report. Harold Goodwin continues: “Over 1,500 hotel and hotel groups were contacted with less than 10% replying. This suggests that far too few hotel managers take this issue seriously despite the impact tourism has on water supplies in destinations around the world. What however was pleasing is that those who did reply highlighted the excellent work being undertaken to reduce water consumption”.
World Travel Market taking a lead
The ‘No water, no future’ issue is not just confined to the hotel sector. World Travel Market has been instrumental in helping raising the issue through the founding, by Chairman Fiona Jeffery nine years ago, of the charity Just A Drop on behalf of the international travel industry.
She comments: “I am absolutely passionate and committed to highlighting the importance of delivering clean water and sanitation to children and their families in some of the remotest parts of the world. The problem is the majority of us take having access to clean water totally for granted. You don’t appreciate its value until you don’t have it.”
“By commissioning this report we are hoping to raise people consciousness and help promote more responsible practices in tourism business and consumer behaviour. It doesn’t take a lot to make a significant difference as Just a Drop has proven.”
To date the charity has raised nearly $1.6 million and helped over 800,000 children and their families living mostly in remote areas in 24 countries. There is no better time than today for the industry, on the first WTM World
Responsible Tourism Day and in light of the report, to help needy local communities by improving water management practices or by supporting Just a Drop’s community work in the field – www.justadrop.org
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