Intelligence
Water: keep the debate flowing
The UN declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation – but is the industry doing enough to reduce its water consumption? Jeremy Skidmore investigates ahead of today’s WTM WRTD debate
R
educing water usage has moved sharply up the agenda for many travel companies in recent years and the World Responsible
Tourism Day debate on the issue in Platinum Suites 3 and 4, on the WTM stage, is likely to be one of the most popular sessions at the show. The debate will focus on whether enough
action will be taken in this area by the industry without governments having to intervene to control usage by hotels and resorts. Water shortages tend to be more acute in
medium and long-haul destinations, but can also occur in Europe: in 2008, Barcelona was forced to import water after the country suffered its worst drought since records began 60 years ago. The motion, “This house believes that the
tourism industry will not do enough to achieve appropriate reductions in water usage without regulation by national governments,” will be chaired by WTM responsible tourism advisor Harold Goodwin. Goodwin believes that a debate to raise
awareness about the need to manage water resources is more important than who
actually wins the argument. He feels more needs to be done to highlight the issue, despite the United Nations declaring 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation and arguing that water resource management is crucial as it impacts on health, food production, water supply and sanitation. “I don’t think enough people know about
the UN declaration,” he said. “This debate is really about airing the issues and making more people aware. The industry has to do more. Local people will always be hit first because water will flow to where the money is, which is the tourists. We’ve all seen pictures of a hotel with a full swimming pool and then outside, it’s arid ground.” It is not only water usage by
holidaymakers that needs to be addressed. Many big resorts have golf courses that, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature, use an average of around one million cubic metres of water per year – the equivalent of the water consumption of a city of 12,000 inhabitants.
“The amount of water
that tourists use is a minute part of the problem,” said Goodwin. Speaking in support of
the motion will be Mark Watson, the executive director of Tourism Concern, who will argue that water shortages in tourist destinations are having a huge impact on the lives of local people. Last year, Tourism Concern published a
report entitled Water Equity in Tourism, which highlighted the problems in several areas, including Bali and Zanzibar. In Bali, where hotels can charge up to
£1,000pn to guests who can enjoy unlimited clean water, 50% of infant deaths are caused by diseases related to poor sanitation, water and environment. Meanwhile, rural villagers reported that they do not have enough water for their rice fields. Households in the Zanzibar resorts of
Kiwengwa, Nungwi and Jambiani have just 93.2 litres of water per day, while the average consumption per room in a five-star hotel in the resorts is 3,195 litres per day. “In many countries, regional and
national governments will have to intervene,
because the pace of change is inadequate,” said Watson. “Holidaymakers tend to think that if you
keep towels on the rail and don’t get them washed every day, that’s enough.” Opposing the motion will be James
Whittingham, the group environmental manager for Tui. He will argue that much progress has been made and that the industry can regulate itself, although he admits more needs to be done. Tui’s exclusive properties, which form the
230,000 litres: the amount
of water a waterless urinal can save in a year
majority of the group’s portfolio, are on a three-year programme of reducing water consumption from 518 litres per guest night in September 2011 to 400 litres per guest night by September 2014. “We’re reducing tap and
shower-head flow rates by 50% and [our property] Sensatori Tenerife has a big salt water swimming pool that guests like,” said Whittingham. Saving water
also saves costs. According to the International Tourism Partnership
(ITP),water accounts for 10% of utility bills in hotels, and Tui has demonstrated in recent years that it’s possible to be sustainable and increase profits. Whittingham, though, does not want to
make the debate an advert for Tui, and acknowledged that many other companies are also taking action to conserve water. The ITP praised the Grand Hyatt Singapore
for using 30% less water for laundry after installing a water recycling feature, and the Hilton in Vienna for saving around 9,500 litres of water per day by reducing toilet flushes during cleaning. Both Watson and Whittingham will be
backed up by two expert witnesses, before the floor votes on the motion.
n Hear the debate today from 2.30-4pm in Platinum Suites 3 & 4
10% 3,195 LITRES
AVERAGE WATER CONSUMPTION PER ROOM EACH DAY IN A FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN ZANZIBAR. AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION IS 93.2 LITRES A DAY
the proportion of an average hotel’s utility bill spent on water (ITP)
50% 06.11.2013
proportion of infant deaths in Bali that are caused by diseases related to poor sanitation, water and environment
33
the water used by a golf course in a year – enough to serve a city of 12,000 inhabitants (WFN)
one million cubic metres
Statistics from ITP, WFN and Tourism Concern
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