Abstract
AbstractThe tourism industry has come under intense scrutiny of late in southern Africa and the world for its contribution to the vulnerability of host communities to the impacts of climate variability and change. The increased frequency of extreme droughts that saw Cape Town and other parts of South Africa going for a prolonged period of water shortages require new thinking and approach to water resources management to achieve sustainability. The aim of this study was to examine how the tourism and hospitality industries in South Africa have responded to the threat of water insecurity to ensure sustainability. To this end, the study used primary and secondary data from annual-integrated annual reports of leading hotel chains to address the research objectives. The study found that the risk of water insecurity within the tourism industry and increasing demand for sustainability coupled with the need to increase profits has forced the tourism industry to adopt water-saving measures. To achieve the ideals of Sustainable Development Goals 12 and 13 on clean water and sanitation and climate change, respectively, the tourism sector has retrofitted its bathrooms, invested in water recycling and reuse. Other measures include the installation of drip irrigations and using drought-resistant flowers in garden landscaping as water-saving and conservation initiatives. The study provided critical theoretical and water management implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. The study recommends continued investment in water innovation and research.KeywordsCape Town droughtSustainable Development GoalsHotelsTourismWater technology
Published Version
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