WTTC unveils world-first global Travel & Tourism’s water footprint

Sector’s whole water footprint is much less than 1{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the international whole

Sector’s drinking water intensity has diminished by a fifth

NEW YORK, March 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The World Journey & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism World wide Middle have unveiled groundbreaking new info detailing the whole drinking water utilization of the global Vacation & Tourism sector.

In a single of the biggest investigate projects of its type, WTTC can for the initially time ever, accurately report and keep track of the affect the sector has on the atmosphere.

The findings were launched right now at the United Nations in New York at the UN 2023 Drinking water Conference.

Direct Water Use
Speaking at the UN Headquarters, Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability at WTTC, disclosed that Vacation & Tourism’s full drinking water footprint is just .6{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the global h2o use in accordance to the most recent figures (2021).

In 2019, when the sector was at its peak, the sector’s whole water footprint was only 50{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} higher, but continue to much less than 1{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the world wide whole at .9{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97}.

Vacation & Tourism’s direct drinking water use is appreciably reduce – in 2019 it was .2{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the global whole and has fallen by 50 {0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} to just .1{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the world-wide total.

A great deal of the sector’s water use is oblique, as a result of its source chain, with agriculture and foodstuff creation accounting for two-thirds of Travel & Tourism’s complete water footprint.

Amongst 2010 and 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector in Europe and Africa reduced immediate water use. In Europe, direct water use fell by 8{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} and in Africa, direct water use by the sector fell by 6{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97}.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, stated: “This floor-breaking new facts reveals our sector’s h2o use for the 1st time ever, revealing that Vacation & Tourism works by using considerably less than 1{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} of the drinking water utilized about the environment, with the overpowering vast majority of that use coming from the sector’s offer chain.

“The info also reveals that although the sector has developed economically close to the world, its direct-use water intensity has reduced.

“The knowledge is the most in depth analyze of the sector’s drinking water use, and like the entire world-initially climate footprint facts we introduced at our World Summit in Riyadh past 12 months, we can also reveal particular person countries’ Journey & Tourism sector’s drinking water footprints. This will allow governments to perform with the sector to more lessen drinking water use.”

Drinking water Intensity
The water intensity of Vacation & Tourism for every unit of GDP has also fallen considering that 2010, throughout both direct and oblique use.

In 2010, the sector made use of .57m³ of water for every single $1 contributed to the world wide economic climate. In 2019 this fell by 19{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} to achieve .46m³ of h2o for each individual $1 contributed to the worldwide financial system.

In a environment-initially, this comprehensive analysis addresses 185 nations across all areas and will be updated each individual 12 months with revised figures.

This investigate was built possible thanks to the partnership involving WTTC and the Saudi-dependent Sustainable Tourism International Center. Less than the Saudi environmentally friendly Initiative, extra than 60 initiatives have been released in the previous calendar year, symbolizing additional than $186 billion of expense in the environmentally friendly financial state.

About the Globe Journey & Tourism Council
The Planet Vacation & Tourism Council (WTTC) signifies the world-wide journey & tourism non-public sector. Associates involve 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world’s major vacation & tourism firms from all geographies covering all industries. For a lot more than 30 many years, WTTC has been dedicated to boosting the consciousness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the vacation & tourism sector.

Resource World Journey & Tourism Council