Decreasing water availability and growing demands due to climate change and increasing tourist numbers in the Mediterranean basin are likely to result in worsening conflicts between socioeconomic sectors that depend on water to survive. We conducted 19 in-depth interviews with hotel owners and managers in the Muga river basin (Girona, north-east Spain) to analyze their use of water-saving measures and explore perceived incentives and barriers. Hotel size, category, and year of construction/renovation were all directly associated with the implementation or lack of implementation of certain measures. The hoteliers did not perceive any strong incentives to adopt water-saving measures, but there were clear indications of cost and technical barriers and a lack of awareness about possible options. Efforts are clearly needed to improve incentives and increase awareness and knowledge about water-saving measures among hoteliers in this part of the Mediterranean basin, where water is a necessary resource for the tourist industry and many other sectors.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is understand these perceptions and identify main problems associated to climate change in order to design effective mitigation and adaptation strategies to guarantee the sustainability of tourism and natural resources. The Mediterranean basin is a leading international tourist destination and one that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Although these effects are largely known, in-depth studies of how they and the associated risks are perceived by key tourism stakeholders have not been performed. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were held with 31 hotels, campsites and rural lodgings in the Muga River basin in north-east Catalonia, in which both owners and managers were asked about their perceptions of climate change, effects and countermeasures. Findings: Perceptions of climate change and its effects varied according to the type of establishment and location (coast, cities or inland). Significant differences were observed for perceptions of how responsibilities for implementing mitigation and adaptation measures to counter the effects of climate change, including water shortages, should be shared out between the main agents with an interest in guaranteeing the sustainability of tourism, namely, government bodies, tourist establishments and clients. The predominant opinion, however, was that the bulk of the responsibility should lie with government bodies. Practical implications: Only when those responsible for running tourist establishments are aware of the risks of climate change, it will be possible to design and implement effective short-, medium- and long-term strategies aimed at strengthening the resilience of the tourist industry. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in its novel methodology and approach, which involved analyzing perceptions of climate change, including water shortages and its effects among owners and managers of different types of tourist accommodation establishments in distinct parts of the same area.

The future of tourism activity is dependent on its ability to adapt to the effects of climate change. One of the most notable effects in the Mediterranean area will be water shortages in a scenario marked by increasing demand for this resource. While this situation will affect numerous economic sectors, it will have a severe impact on the tourism industry, which relies heavily on water. The aim of this study was to analyze water-saving practices among guests at campsites, hotels, and rural lodgings in the Muga river basin and investigate the factors that influence these practices. We conducted 752 surveys and found that differences in practices were influenced by reason for stay, type of accommodation, and geographic origin. A greater understanding of how sociodemographic and motivational characteristics influence water-saving behavior by guests at different types of tourist accommodation is essential for designing targeted strategies for improving environmental awareness and water-saving habits.

El cambio climático y sus efectos condicionarán el devenir de muchos destinos turísticos. En el ámbito mediterráneo uno de los impactos más preocupantes se da en la disminución de la disponibilidad de los recursos hídricos, lo que puede repercutir en la pérdida del atractivo de estos destinos turísticos frente a otros mejor posicionados. Sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre cuál es la percepción que tienen los turistas sobre la disponibilidad de agua de estos espacios que visitan y su vinculación con el cambio climático. En este artículo se analizan algunas de esas percepciones a partir de los resultados obtenidos de la realización de 752 encuestas a clientes alojados en 19 establecimientos turísticos en la cuenca del río Muga, ubicada en el extremo nororiental de la península Ibérica. Los resultados muestran como factores vinculados a la procedencia, la tipología de alojamiento o el nivel de instrucción de los turistas pueden ser explicativos a la hora de determinar la percepción que tienen sobre el cambio climático y sus efectos, a la vez que algunos de sus hábitos y comportamientos ambientales, especialmente en relación con los recursos hídricos.

Evidence shows that income and residential density, the latter associated with outdoor water uses such as gardens and swimming pools in single houses, are considered key factors in explaining variations of water consumption in urban areas. However, these findings tell us little on the role played by personal habits in water use. Measures adopted to minimize the spread of COVID-19 virus such as population lockdowns and recommendations for frequent hand, clothing, and food washing represent an opportunity to analyze how individuals behave in relation to water consumption under the same conditions and recommendations and regardless of their income or housing type. Using the case of a medium sized European city with mixed residential areas (Girona, Northeast Spain), this research investigates consumer behavior combining quantitative techniques such as cluster analysis with qualitative tools based on data provided by 35 face-to-face interviews conducted with residents from different neighborhoods of the city. Results show that changes in water use introduced during confinement do not picture a behavioral pattern aligned with the variables that, conventionally, help to explain domestic water consumption such as income. Hence the need to refocus urban water policies more towards residential land use models rather than towards specific socioeconomic profiles of residents.

El impacto del cambio climático en el litoral mediterráneo exige una respuesta decidida desde las políticas públicas de planificación y gestión territorial. El objetivo del artículo es determinar hasta qué punto el cambio climático y sus efectos se toman en consideración en las políticas e instrumentos de planificación territorial y urbana y las acciones derivadas en los espacios turísticos mediterráneos. La metodología se basa en el análisis de la documentación vinculada a las acciones de adaptación a los dos riesgos que más afectan la Costa Brava: las inundaciones y los incendios forestales. Para ello se han elegido cuatro municipios: Roses, Torroella de Montgrí-l’Estartit, Castell-Platja d’Aro y Blanes. Los resultados muestran cómo se ha ido introduciendo gradualmente el cambio climático en la documentación vinculada a las acciones de adaptación realizadas o proyectadas. No obstante, todavía es insuficiente considerando que la escala local es la más efectiva para desarrollar estas acciones. De ahí que sea necesario fortalecer los instrumentos de ordenación y planificación territorial urbana a fin de conseguir una mayor adaptación y resiliencia de estos espacios frente a los riesgos climáticos.