Exploring research on water-saving measures applied to the hotel sector. A critical systematic review

Abstract

Climate change and tourist development are increasing the frequency and severity of water stress situations. This study aims to summarize the research findings in articles exploring water-saving measures applied in hotels. Based on the Cochrane protocol, a systematic review was conducted for the period 2000–2020. Several searches were run to select 39 articles and a coding system was built to classify the findings. Results point out that low cost are the most widely applied measures, probably because have shorter payback periods. However, reclaimed water is one of the most explored measures by academic literature. Different research gaps have been identified. First, no articles have explored the impact of the introduction of water-saving actions on hotels’ competitiveness. Secondly, there is a lack of deeper exploration of stakeholders’ roles and contributions to water-saving man­ agement. Finally, it would also be important to analyse to what extent new forms in hotel management influence decision-making.