The beach, the sun and the often festive atmosphere in the streets are some good reasons to travel to Barcelona. The reception that awaits the tourists but in the last few weeks it’s been kind of… different. Because the first thing travelers see at the airport is a warning message: “Alarm for the drought. Save water during your stay.”
New set of restrictive regulations
Last April, the Catalan government approved a new set of restrictive measures on water consumption to face the region’s worst drought in 200 years. Unlike previous measures, these restrictions are the first to have a direct impact on tourism – Until recently, authorities were particularly careful not to harm the tourism industrywhich represents 12% of Spain’s GDP, with the country expected to receive more than 85 million visitors in 2023.
The practical consequences of the restrictions, however, are not yet certain – swimming pools, for example, could be full, as they are considered climate shelters – many hotels are already considering how to manage the whole situation.
Hotels are already taking their measures
Investments in water-saving systems will be crucial and, as climate change approaches, hotels that have already taken some preventative measures will clearly be in a better position.
One such hotel is the St. Christopher’s Inn, a guest house near Plaza Catalunya. Since its construction, the building, which welcomes thousands of travelers from all over the world every year, has had a recycling system that recycles, for example, water from bathtubs and sinks as water for flushing toilets. In addition, in order to reduce water consumption by its guests, They charge 1 euro for each change of towel and have replaced the classic bathroom taps with ones with a timer.
In addition to this building, there are others in Barcelona that are also taking measures to combat the drought. The Hilton Diagonal Mar, for example, chose to use seawater in its pool, while the Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona andchanged your shower systems mixing more air with water – thus managing to reduce water consumption from 40 liters per minute to just 9.
Visitor cooperation is essential
However, the efforts of tourism companies are not enough – visitors must also change their attitude. Many tourists do not know what is happening until they see a warning sign in front of them or learn about drought prevention measures. “We are in a process of recycling. Although the reaction of the majority has been more positive than we expected, Sometimes there are also some customers who complain about the fact that the shower water doesn’t last long”says de Luca. At the same time, of course, there are many people who are concerned that measures to reduce water consumption could significantly harm tourism.
According to research published in May 2023 by the Barcelona Hotel Guild, hotel guests in Barcelona have reduced their daily water consumption by 40% over the last seven years. Thus, the average water consumption per tourist reaches 163.5 liters per day, an amount slightly higher than that consumed by a resident of Barcelona.
However, José F. García, a researcher at the Water Research Institute of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, estimates that it is difficult to accurately calculate the amount of water consumed by tourists in these areas. “It depends a lot on where they are staying, whether they are staying in a large resort or in a simple apartment, for example.”
In any case, however, as Alex de Luca points out, “every action counts when it comes to water conservation. From the management decisions we make to the attitudes of our customers, we all play a role.”
Source: Deutsche Welle