Abstract Over the years, a substantial body of knowledge has emerged to analyse the water–tourism nexus, shifting from setting agendas to problem-solving approaches, while highlighting the importance of involving stakeholders in effective governance. In this respect, the Hydrosocial Cycle approach has demonstrated its effectiveness in assessing the human-nature dimension of water resources by examining the roles and narratives of stakeholders, as well as the asymmetrical power dynamics influencing decision-making processes. This study establishes a framework aimed at enhancing governance in hydrosocial research related to the intersection of water and tourism by exploring stakeholders’ interactions across five key dimensions: relevance, representativeness, recognition, performance, and collaboration. Additionally, it articulates each dimension using a triple-loop factor scheme that considers stakeholders’ knowledge (to be), actions (to do), and relationships (to share). This framework was implemented in two Mediterranean coastal hotspots, Benidorm (Spain) and Rimini (Italy), which exemplify complex water management contexts marked by competing water needs. Data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to key stakeholders, such as municipalities, regional authorities, water suppliers, irrigation districts, and tourism associations. Our findings illustrate that within the water-tourism nexus, governance tends to favour the water component over the tourism dimension, as evidenced by water stakeholders’ leadership roles, player status, and their greater relevance and recognition in terms of their responsibilities and actions. Moreover, although some stakeholders lack awareness of others’ roles within the system, no stakeholder was seen as redundant, which suggests potential for fostering engagement by pinpointing most influential stakeholders and reassessing their positions in power-imbalanced contexts. The proposed framework introduces a straightforward, flexible, and easily replicable strategy for dealing with context-dependent issues and challenges, such as the water-tourism nexus, and can enhance the effectiveness of broader participatory tools, such as semi-structured interviews and workshops, improving its applicability in a range of governance environments.
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