WTTC takes bold steps towards water resilience
Travel Biz News —–
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its new report, ‘Water Roadmap for Travel & Tourism’, revealing total water intensity by global 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 , according to a release issued by WTTC.
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 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.
Recognising the vital role of travel and tourism, WTTC issues a resounding call for collective action to safeguard water ecosystems. The framework can help guide tourism stakeholders on a path to sustainability, emphasising science-based targets, internal prioritisation, appropriate funding and collaborative measures for a resilient future.
10 December , 2023
Photo : Tourists in Portugal ( WTTC )
