Tackling Water and Waste Management Challenges Within the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

Like other economic sectors, such as agriculture, the tourism and hospitality industry faces numerous sustainability challenges, including substantial environmental water and waste footprints. These challenges emerge out of various factors; amongst them is general environmental degradation due to growing global populations and the increasing impact of and pressure from climate change that forces shareholders and tourists to demand that the tourism industry adopt sustainable practices. However, water and waste management studies related to the tourism industry remain limited worldwide. This study examined water and waste management issues from Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) perspectives, focusing on Cape Town hotels. The primary research question investigates how the tourism and hospitality industry has sought to address various targets under SDG 6 (water and sanitation) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production). Utilising mixed-method data collected through key informant interviews and field observations from 30 hotels in Cape Town’s central business district, this study found that after Day Zero in Cape Town, the hotel industry has intensified efforts to address water efficiency and security through the implementation of various technologies and techniques to ensure water sustainability. In addition to addressing water issues, the hotel industry is making increasing efforts to minimise and avoid hotel waste in response to consumer demand for accountability and sustainable tourism products. The study notes that while waste management is often challenging, it can provide businesses an opportunity to leverage progress in waste management and water to cut on expenditure and sustainability green marketing, which, in a manner, is financially rewarding. The study recommends financial and non-financial means to address waste and water management to foster better resource management in light of environmental and climate change challenges faced globally.