IN support of United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, World Tourism Day (WTD) 2013 is being held under the theme Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.

This year’s theme highlights tourism’s role in water access and seeks to highlight the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as addressing the challenges ahead.
While there has been strong growth in the demand for water, available water resources has declined in many regions because of the depletion of non-renewable fossil water resources, pollution of water bodies and groundwater sources, and climate change, leading to declining precipitation levels in already water-stressed regions as a result of increased frequency of droughts, increased evaporation and changes in patterns of rainfall and runoff.
These developments need to be seen against the background of observed and anticipated changes in hydrological cycles because of climate change leading to altered precipitation patterns and other changes of relevance for tourism.
Tourism is both dependent on fresh water resources and an important factor in water use. Tourists need and consume water when washing or using
the toilet, when participating in activities, when using spas, wellness areas or swimming pools. Fresh water is also needed to maintain hotel gardens and golf courses, and is embodied in tourism infrastructure development, food and fuel production.
In comparison to other economic sectors, such as agriculture, there are no specific regional or national water use statistics for tourism, and tourism-related water use is still relatively little investigated.
The world’s major tourism flows occur between six Regions, North America, Caribbean, Northern and Southern Europe, North East Asia and South East Asia. In this regard, it becomes imperative that the regions take responsibility for their water usage and employ sustainable water management programmes.
This said, it is also understood that the costs of dealing with current and future water demands under serious climate change scenarios are considerable.
In Guyana, tourism sector leaders and stakeholders must embrace the reality that water demand is likely to increase in the future due to climate change and its consequences for water availability; additionally with the continued  growth in tourist arrivals, and the higher average per tourist water consumption, this demand will grow.
In order to adapt to inevitable changes in water availability, as well as to mitigate its own contribution to climate change and its pressure on limited water resources, tourism needs to engage in energy and water management, focusing on policy, for example compliance with national green house reduction goals, building codes , measurement and charging of water consumption management, including measures to reduce water use, treat sewage and reuse water, research and development, to implement renewable energy-driven desalination; understanding the religious, philosophical and ethical issues of wastewater recycling and reuse, as well as placing greater emphasis on education and behavioural change to encourage tourists and staff to engage in water saving measures.
I want to use this opportunity to urge tourism stakeholders, establishments and communities to embrace existing national policies that seek to ensure that water conservation practices are employed.

Irfaan Ali
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce