Ground-breaking report reveals that as Travel & Tourism continues to grow, its water intensity falls

05.12.2023 - 08:36 / traveldailynews.com / Asia Pacific / Julia Simpson / Vicky Karantzavelou

Europe and Africa saw a decline in water use despite international arrivals growth. Global tourism body takes bold steps towards water resilience

DUBAI, UAE – The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its new groundbreaking report, “Water Roadmap for Travel & Tourism”, revealing total water intensity by global Travel & Tourism continues to decrease as the sector continues to grow.

Despite being one the fastest growing sectors, accounting for one in 10 jobs globally and contributing 10.4% of global GDP in 2019, Travel & Tourism’s water usage ranged between 3.5% and 5.8% of global available freshwater, in 2021 and 2019 respectively.

While this is a lower share than other key sectors, such as agriculture and food, which accounted for 70% of global water usage, there is more work to be done as growing water scarcity has become one of the most pressing challenges for sustainable development.

Today, over 2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, while 4.2 billion do not have access to safe sanitation services. Water is a vital natural resource, sustaining life on earth, making it an essential asset that must be protected.

The report highlights that further progress can be made if Travel & Tourism stakeholders take a series of actions, and sustainable water practices are implemented globally.

In a collaborative effort, WTTC worked with Accenture and Oxford Economics to leverage their expertise in data analysis, best practices, and proven methodologies, providing a framework to help the global travel and tourism sector set water targets, reduce their water footprint and increase water resilience.

The data is a result of to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center.

According to the research, from 2010 to 2019, Asia Pacific, Americas and the Middle East saw their Travel & Tourism water usage increase, while experiencing significant growth in international arrivals. Europe and Africa saw a yearly increase in international arrivals of 5% and 4% respectively between 2010 to 2019 but experienced a 1% decline in water use over the same period.

This achievement highlights the opportunities within the Travel & Tourism sector to further reduce water usage and take further steps towards the SDG 6 goals of the global water action agenda.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Water scarcity is a pressing global issue that requires collective action. Travel & Tourism, with its unique influence and global reach, is perfectly positioned to play a pivotal role in fostering sustainable water practices. With this report, we aim to inspire a transformative journey toward responsible water use and a regenerative future, accelerating progress towards