Abstract
Decreasing water availability and growing demands due to climate change and increasing tourist numbers in the Mediterranean basin are likely to result in worsening conflicts between socioeconomic sectors that depend on water to survive. We conducted 19 in-depth interviews with hotel owners and managers in the Muga river basin (Girona, north-east Spain) to analyze their use of water-saving measures and explore perceived incentives and barriers. Hotel size, category, and year of construction/renovation were all directly associated with the implementation or lack of implementation of certain measures. The hoteliers did not perceive any strong incentives to adopt water-saving measures, but there were clear indications of cost and technical barriers and a lack of awareness about possible options. Efforts are clearly needed to improve incentives and increase awareness and knowledge about water-saving measures among hoteliers in this part of the Mediterranean basin, where water is a necessary resource for the tourist industry and many other sectors.
Highlights
The future of the tourist industry hinges largely on the effects of climate change and the availability of natural resources [1,2]
These conflicts could become intense in areas where tourism is an important part of the local economy, as is the case with most tourist destinations in the Mediterranean basin [8], which is one of the most seriously threatened regions in the world in terms of climate change effects and water scarcity [9,10,11]
In a previous study of tourist accommodation establishments in the Muga river basin by our group, we found that hotel owners/managers were the least concerned and aware about climate change, water scarcity, and the need to urgently implement water-saving strategies in this sector [17], highlighting the need for more studies investigating attitudes towards water conservation and perceived incentives and barriers among hoteliers in this part of the Mediterranean
Summary
The future of the tourist industry hinges largely on the effects of climate change and the availability of natural resources [1,2]. Rising tourist numbers and increasing water demands, combined with growing concerns about water shortages as a consequence of climate change [2,3], are likely to give rise to conflicts between different socioeconomic and environmental sectors that depend on water, such as agriculture, industry, households, tourism, and ecosystem management [4,5,6,7] These conflicts could become intense in areas where tourism is an important part of the local economy, as is the case with most tourist destinations in the Mediterranean basin [8], which is one of the most seriously threatened regions in the world in terms of climate change effects and water scarcity [9,10,11]. It is an ideal location for studying water-saving measures adopted by hotels and investigating perceived barriers and incentives among owners and managers. Headwater flows fell by almost 50% in the same period and projections for 2050 indicate an additional reduction of
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