Various tourist activities, for example skiing or golf, require large amounts of water.

Fresh water is an essential resource for tourism, as it is consumed directly by tourists, for example for hygienic purposes, but also by the hospitality industry, for the irrigation of gardens, to fill up swimming pools and supply wellness and spa facilities, and for cleaning rooms and washing bed and table linen. Moreover, it is linked to many leisure activities, such as golf and skiing¹Gössling, 2015.

Due to climate change, which causes reduced snowfall and a greater evapotranspiration, water is an increasingly scarce resource in South Tyrol²Zebisch et al., 2018, and in the future, there might be cross-sectoral conflicts for its use, for example between tourism and agriculture in rural areas. Monitoring the consumption is therefore essential to foresee and warn local stakeholders against potential water shortages and stresses.

However, data on tourism-related water use largely unavailable. Thus, we estimate water use in accommodation facilities using literature-driven coefficients specific for each hotel category. We also included available data for water consumption by snow guns, as water cycle for snow making and technological advancement.