Water-saving strategies at hotels: which are more effective?

Water overconsumption by tourists is nowadays a major environmental challenge, raising concerns for both hospitality managers and policymakers, especially in regions facing water stress. Hotels have implemented various strategies for water conservation, yet there remains limited knowledge regarding the comparative effectiveness of technological investments in contrast to other alternatives, such as green nudges, consumer awareness programmes, or environmental training for staff. This paper investigates the effects of several water-saving strategies on the growth rates of water consumption at hotels. Using panel data for 361 hotels in Colombia, we show that consumer awareness programmes, environmental training for staff, and environmental research and development (R&D) do not achieve the goal of reducing hotel water consumption. Importantly, our findings indicate that investments in technologically efficient devices lead to increases in water consumption, a result that is compatible with time-use rebound effects.