The impact of climate change on water use in the tourism sector: adaption Katerina Charalambous Research Assistant Energy, Environment and Water Research Center The Cyprus Institute
Importance of Tourism to Cyprus In 2009 – Number of tourist arrivals: approx 2.2M – Revenue: €1,493M – Number of jobs: 38,000 – Share of GDP: 15-20% ( ) Water use – Tourism: 465 L/d/capita (Domestic : 215 L/d/capita) – Design of desalination plants based on peak demand of urban and tourism sector Swimming pool evaporation for in Limassol town: 4.4 L/m²/d
Global tourist water consumption values
Cyprus hotel water management survey Objective – To assess the impact of and adaptation to climate change on water use and supply in the tourist sector in Cyprus Methods – Web-based survey sent out to 320 addresses on the CTO list of tourist accommodation – 23 responses received (7%)
Location of accommodation
Accommodation size (no. of beds)
Affected by water shortage
Access to own water supply
Swimming pools
Disposal of wastewater
Water saving devices
Water saving habits
Garden irrigation
Factors affecting tourist arrivals
15 year projection
Future plans
Conclusions Survey results indicated that: – Water shortage has had an impact on hotels – Hotels are applying measures to save water – Many do not have future plans with regards to this matter – The majority of the respondents do not expect a decrease in tourist numbers More research is needed to evaluate opportunities and constraints for hotel water saving
References Cyprus Statistical Service (CSS) Tourism statistics. Republic of Cyprus Printing Office, Nicosia, Cyprus. Gӧssling S The consequences of tourism for sustainable water use on a tropical island: Zanzibar, Tanzania. Journal of Environmental Management, 61: Gӧssling S., Peeters P., Hall M.C., Ceron J-P., Dubois, G., Lehmann L. V. and Scott D Tourism and water use: Supply, demand, and security. An international review. Tourism Management, 33: 1-15 Lamei A., Von Münch E., van der Zaag, P. and Imam, E Optimum contracted-for water supply for hotels in arid coastal regions. Water Science and Technology, 59 (8): Rico-Amoros A.M., Olcina-Cantos J., Sauri D Tourist land use patterns and water demand: Evidence from the Western Mediterranean. Land Use Policy, 26: WDD-FAO The assessment of water demand of Cyprus. In: Reassessment of the island's water resources and demand - Objective 1 - Output TCP/CYP/8921. FAO and WDD, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Thank you Contacts: Katerina Charalambous