While the Catalan capital is experiencing one of its longest droughts and restricting residents’ water consumption, the debate on the impact of tourism on the city is resurfacing.
Photo: Clementine Laurent
Since the beginning of the month, Barcelona has stopped watering its parks and gardens, while water consumption is limited to 230 liters per inhabitant per day. A restriction which for the moment is not too much felt since a Barcelona resident consumes an average of 106 liters per day. But the drought persists and municipal services are already talking about more intense restrictions, pressure drops and water cuts at certain times of the day if the situation does not improve by the summer.
It is in this context of emergency that the consumption of tourists is once again being examined by the public authorities and citizens’ associations. According to the last study by the public agency Barcelona Regional (2016), the hotel sector absorbs between 8 and 12% of the city’s water.
In fact, all tourist accommodation consumes more than Barcelona homes, from youth hostels to luxury hotels and apartments. But if the difference with the locals is only 24 liters per day for tourists in 1-star hotels, it takes on abysmal proportions in the high-end segment. A tourist staying in a 4-star hotel consumes on average 3 times more than a Barcelona resident, and a luxury tourist 5 times more.
Barcelona asks for a limitation of cruises
Although the luxury hotel sector has recently made certain efforts for the environment, its water consumption remains high and is not currently subject to any restrictions. A situation increasingly pointed out by certain Barcelona associations. According to tourism professionals contacted by Equinox, however, a meeting is scheduled for next week between hotel managers and the Catalan Water Agency to put in place specific measures for the sector.
For its part, the town hall of Barcelona asked the Catalan government on Monday to reduce the number of cruises “due to the context of drought”. Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning Janet Sanz calls for “reasonable limit” arrivals expected in the coming months. According to forecasts, the port of Barcelona could break all its records this summer with 3.2 million cruise passengers. Maritime tourists are not the biggest consumers of municipal water, but the boats are equipped with drinking water treatment plants, an additional source of pollution for the city. A pollution that will quickly become suffocating in the context of a heat wave.
Read also: Barcelona, one of the most polluted cities in Europe by cruises
