About Water Stewardship for Hotel Companies

The Water Stewardship for Hotel Companies report provides guidance on the importance of managing a hotel’s water use and what practical actions hotel companies can take to embed water stewardship programmes across their portfolios.

The report was developed to define what ‘water stewardship’ means for the hotel industry and outlines six key steps to enable every hotel to build an effective water stewardship programme.

This research includes practical guidance on how to:

  1. Understand a hotel’s relationship with water to identify the source, impact and dependencies of current and future water use
  2. Set targets and create a plan of action that aligns with global and sector initiative
  3. Manage water sustainably in hotel operations focusing on efficiency, wastewater treatment, alternative sources and engaging with employees and guests
  4. Work with suppliers on water to develop alternative solutions and support your strategies
  5. Build resilience to extreme events and water shortages (e.g. floods, droughts) to protect hotel operations, supply of goods and local communities
  6. Collaborate on sustainable water management by supporting sustainable water initiatives, sharing data with local water agencies and collaborating with neighbouring properties.

Who is it for?

This report was designed to support hotel companies’ sustainability professionals and engineering teams, as well as other hotel industry stakeholders to develop water strategies. It will help hotels to better manage their impact on water and maintain long-term water security for the communities in which they operate.

How was it created?

This report was created following the publication of the Water Risk Assessment and Destination Water Risk Index, which identify the water-related threats faced by the tourism and hotel industry and the destinations most at risk. Using all three publications can support hotel companies to understand emerging water issues, prioritise action in key destinations and deliver practical solutions.