Sustainability and Environmental Impact of the Tourism Sector: Analysis Applied to Swimming Pools in the Hotel Industry on the Costa Brava

Abstract

Abstract The hotel industry already has a high level of sensitivity to environmental sustainability at all levels, from the owners and managers of the establishments to the clients who stay there. The Costa Brava is an area with high water stress during the high tourist season; therefore, any initiative that seeks to make the sector and one of its main assets, such as swimming pools, more environmentally sustainable is of great social interest. Swimming pools are one of the hotel industry's most important assets in attracting visitors to their facilities. Improving the energy efficiency of these facilities will not only improve the sustainability of the hotel industry but will also improve operating costs and allow establishments to dedicate more resources to their hospitality business. The aim of this research is to collect data on the swimming pools installed in hotels on the Costa Brava, to calculate the carbon footprint equivalent to the consumption of electrical energy and to identify the possibilities for improvement in the installations