Spain holiday warning: Experts warn holidays at risk as droughts 'not one-off events' forcing 'water restrictions' and 'rising anti tourism sentiment'

Experts have warned that holidaying in Spain is likely to change in the future, as well as this summer, as droughts will bring in new measures and tourists will be likely to holiday elsewhere. Over the last three years, rainfall has been at record lows in Spain while temperatures have hit unprecedented highs. 

The country is currently battling its worst drought in 200 years, prompting authorities in Catalonia to bring in emergency measures to preserve the dwindling reserves, which have fallen to 15.8 per cent of normal levels. Emergency measures in Catalonia include a ban on topping up swimming pools, washing cars and watering private gardens. Beach showers have also been turned off. 

Plans to prohibit baths and introduce water meters in hotel rooms are also currently being discussed in Andalucia. Susanne Becken, Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University, told NationalWorld that holidaying in Spain could be different this year due to the drought as “hotels have to invest into water efficiency and potentially change products (not everyone having a pool)” which “could also drive the cost a bit.”

Professor Becken said: “For visitors it means being much more responsible e.g. in terms of long showers. But there could be worse implications, namely when it comes to serious resource conflict, including between locals and visitors. We can see rising anti tourism sentiment already and this can increase because of water.”

She added that climate models project that droughts will “get worse” and “some hotels are starting to put water conservation measures in place, but more can be done.” According to Professor Becken, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that there is a “high confidence in increase of hydrological, agricultural and ecological droughts in the Mediterranean”.

Spain’s government has already agreed to ship water to Catalonia to help battle the severe drought with the Spanish environment minister warning that countries need to realise that water is a resource that can no longer be taken for granted. Professor Becken said droughts in the country will “change landscapes” for example “there is increasing desertification already” and this could diminish the “attractiveness of some regions” for holidaymakers. 

Sheela Agarwal, Professor of tourism management at University of Plymouth, warned that droughts in Spain “are not one-off events as climatic patterns are changing across the globe” and there will be “a greater need for emergency planning to cope”. Professor Agarwal said that it is “difficult to predict exactly how droughts will change holidaying in Spain this summer as it all depends on how such water scarcity is managed and the types of strategies that are implemented to mitigate its impact” but “restrictions on daily water consumption may act to put tourists off from visiting Spain”. She added that this will especially be the case “if swimming pools are closed and/or the quality of the water is not maintained to a high standard.” 

Professor Agarwal urges Spain to “invest in desalination plants” to “avoid a potential decline of tourism in Spain” but warns that this will “not be a quick fix”. Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, who is the minister for ecological transition in Spain, says the country has drawn up a water management strategy to deal with decreasing reserves of water by introducing more desalination plants and making greater use of recycled water. She said that unless there is abundant rain in the next few months, ships will be used from June to move water from a desalination plant in Valencia to Barcelona to relieve the situation in Catalonia.