“The European Easter holiday hotspot has announced the closure of its swimming pools, effectively warning tourists to take caution.”

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Tourists who visit a popular vacation destination during Easter will encounter prominent signs in English that warn: “Drought warning. Please conserve water during your stay,” because beach showers are not available and swimming pools are not being filled.

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly severe in southern Europe. Catalonia, a Mediterranean region in Spain that includes Barcelona, is currently facing its most severe drought in history.

The symbols have been displayed at the airport of the city and at its famous Sagrada Familia basilica.

Water levels in the reservoir are currently at only 15% of their full capacity. As a result, there are limitations on the amount of water that residents, visitors, and industries can use. Beach showers have been closed and tap water cannot be used to fill swimming pools, among other measures.

Officials in Catalonia are urging visitors to behave responsibly and are firm that the current drought should not discourage them from visiting the popular Spanish city and region, which receives the highest number of foreign tourists. The tourism industry contributes to 14.5% of the local economy.

According to the environmental chief of the regional government, David Mascort, the message to campsites and hotels from Catalonia’s tourism agency and business department is to remain calm as people can still enjoy their holidays here as they normally would.

In February, the hotel association in Barcelona expressed concern about the negative perception of hotels with unoccupied pools being portrayed to the international community. As a result of their advocacy, the authorities revised their ban on pool water usage and permitted the use of desalinated water instead.

According to Manel Casals, the director of the hotel association, the drought is not deterring tourists and many are unaware of its existence until they arrive. However, there is a concern that if precautions are not taken, Barcelona’s image may be affected by the drought restrictions. So far, no negative impact has been observed and tourists continue to visit.

Travelers who went to see Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia were surprised to learn about the water restrictions from billboards rather than beforehand.

Finnish tourist Johan Saltin stated that tourists can reduce their water consumption if they are informed about the current circumstances.

A study conducted by a hotel association in Barcelona reveals that hotels in the city have reduced their water consumption by half since its implementation in 2016. While five-star hotels still have the highest usage at an average of 242 litres per day in 2022, all hotels combined make up only 9% of the city’s total water usage. Presently, residents are only allowed to use 200 litres per day due to water restrictions in place.

The issue of excessive tourism in Barcelona has already led to protests from residents, and the drought is expected to make it worse.

Environmental advocates gathered at Barcelona’s tourist agency on Wednesday, displaying signs that called for limitations in the tourism industry. The signs read, “Stop the flow of tourism” and “Hotels with full pools while rivers and aquifers run dry.”

“In light of our current circumstances, it is inappropriate that our main focus is to refrain from alarming tourists, when the true issue at hand is the dehydration of our land,” stated demonstrator Josep Sabate.

This source is from the website Independent.

The origin of this information is derived from the Independent website.