TTOURISMOURISM
‘NO WATER, NO FUTURE’
TOURISM DRINKING DESTINATIONS DRY?
W
ater is an increasingly To date the charity has raised
limited resource in more nearly $1.6 million and helped
and more destinations over 800,000 children and
around the world. The tourism their families living mostly in
industry and hoteliers in particular remote areas in 24 countries.
need to take responsibility for There is no better time than
reducing its consumption in places today for the industry, on the
where water is becoming scarcer fi rst WTM World Responsible
otherwise there will be an increasing Tourism Day and in light of
confl ict between the industry, the report, to help needy local
farmers and local communities communities by improving
unable to meet their water need. water management practices
or by supporting Just a
Key report findings
Drop’s community work in
• 96% of respondents said
the fi eld –
www.justadrop.org
they felt water was an issue
the tourism industry ought
to address
Stephen Sackur, BBC Journalist and Presenter
Top tips for travellers to
• 92% said they felt water was save water:
an issue they should address
Harold Goodwin continues: “Over 1,500 hotel
• Change behaviour to
• 53% believed that water shortages were
and hotel groups were contacted with less
save water. The less water used, the more
already affecting their business. This is
than 10% replying. This suggests that far too
is left in local resources
even before the onslaught of predicted
few hotel managers take this issue seriously
• Turn off the tap when brushing teeth –
climate change, demand increases and
despite the impact tourism has on water
this can save up to 5 litres a minute
associated water scarcity in the next
supplies in destinations around the world.
• Follow guidelines provided by hotels
5-10 years
What however was pleasing is that those who
about changing towels and sheets in
• 68% of hotels do not provide assistance
did reply highlighted the excellent work being
order to save water and energy
to increase access to potable water for
undertaken to reduce water consumption”.
• Take a shower instead of a bath – 50
local communities
World Travel Market taking a lead
litres can be saved. In island resorts like
• 13% assist the community with water
The ‘No water, no future’ issue is not just
the Maldives, all the water has to be
and 11% with sewage
confi ned to the hotel sector. World Travel
treated so it is very expensive and should
The key issue facing the industry is where
Market has been instrumental in helping
not be wasted
water is diverted to meet the requirements of
to raise the issue through the founding, by
• If a tap is dripping, report it to staff –
tourists, it can severely deplete local aquifers
Chairman Fiona Jeffery nine years ago, of
a dripping tap can waste as much as 90
and drain water courses, leaving local people
the charity Just A Drop on behalf of the
litres a week
short of water. Large resort developments
international travel industry.
• Be aware and follow water conservation
require signifi cant amounts of water which are rules or guidelines – eg when rinsing
extracted from the local boreholes. In areas
She comments: “I am absolutely passionate
feet/clothes/equipment don’t leave the
of water scarcity this reduces the amount of
and committed to highlighting the importance
tap running, fi ll the sink and soak in one
water available for local people. The tourism
of delivering clean water and sanitation to
go
industry is able to pay more for water than
children and their families in some of the
• Conserve water – don’t waste it just
locals. It is the poor who go short of water. As
remotest parts of the world. “The problem is
because someone else is footing the bill
Nelson Mandela commented at the 2002 at the
the majority of us take having access to clean
as in the end all of us pay for it as water
Earth Summit : “No water, no future.”
water totally for granted. You don’t appreciate
is a fi nite global resource – and the local
its value until you don’t have it.
poor pay proportionately much more for
The European Environment Agency has their water. They have to walk further
highlighted that “in the Mediterranean, it is not
“By commissioning this report we are hoping
to fetch or pay more from their scarce
uncommon for a tourist to use on average over
to raise people consciousness and help promote
cash resources for the water they need to
four times as much water as a local resident.”
more responsible practices in tourism business
survive.
Apathy needs to be eradicated
and consumer behaviour. It doesn’t take a lot
The report can be downloaded from www.
There is still though a high level of apathy
to make a signifi cant difference as Just a Drop
wtmlondon.com and
www.icrtourism.org.
from hoteliers as illustrated by the numbers
has proven.”
P
who responded to the survey for the report.
www.thepromota.co.uk THEPROMOTA | 27
ppromotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 27romotamagazine_issue12.indd isabelle corrected.indd 27 330/11/2007 21:49:010/11/2007 21:49:01
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