Understanding reductions in water consumption in tourist areas: a case study of the Costa Brava, Spain

Abstract

With nearly three million tourists per year, the Costa Brava (Spain) is one of the most frequently visited tourist areas on the Mediterranean coast. The aim of this article is to understand its hydrosocial cycle and to identify why water consumption per capita is decreasing in the region. Overall, this decrease is not related to a single factor. Instead, many factors, including the incorporation of technological and institutional innovations in water management, increasing levels of social awareness related to saving water, the introduction of alternative water resources, and increasing water prices, must be considered together