Water equity – Contrasting tourism water use with that of the local community

• Water use per guest night in a hotel differs vastly across 21 countries globally.
• Water scarce countries are not systematically more efficient for tourism water use.
• Disparities exist between tourism and non-tourism water use in developing countries.
• A broader destination stewardship approach to water management is required.

Tourism as an economic activity has grown substantially and is increasingly adding to local and seasonal pressures on water supply systems of tourist destinations around the world. Based on data from the AQUASTAT and EarthCheck tourist accommodation databases, this research analysed tourism-related water use in 21 countries and compared it with other municipal use. Tourists׳ water use on a per guest night basis was found to differ substantially, with water usage being highest (up to 956 l per guest night in China) and most diverse in developing countries. The disparity between tourist water use and that of locals is also greatest in low or mid-income countries. Industrialised countries, in contrast, are characterised by high tourism water efficiencies, with no apparent discrepancy in water use between tourism and non-tourism users. Implications of this research for managing potential water conflicts and the need for broader tourist destination stewardship for water resources are discussed.