Cape Town - As the Western Cape’s water crisis intensifies and with a 20% increase in tourists expected, the provincial Department of Economic Opportunities and Development has come up with a unique way to save water.
The Water Saving Tourism Industry Campaign will see the department distributing 2 300 low-flow shower heads that save water and electricity to guesthouses, B&Bs and Airbnbs across the province. This could save at least 70 million litres of water a year.
The department will partner with CapeNature and Airbnb to distribute the shower heads.
Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde poses with a low-flow shower head. Picture: Tamryn Christians/Cape Argus
Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said that to ensure tourists had information on saving water , the campaign would also include the distribution of mirror decals for display in tourism establishment bathrooms.
A mirror decal that is also being distributed to accommodation providers in the province to encourage water savings. Picture: Supplied/Western Cape Government
Airbnb regional market consultant for Sub-Saharan Africa Velma Corcoran said they would help distribute 500 of the 2 300 shower heads to their hosts.
“Airbnb is taking this campaign very seriously. We are going to be making water-saving heads to every Airbnb host in Cape Town and we have created a sign-up page on our website,” Corcoran said.
Winde said the provincial government, municipalities and tourism officers would host awareness events along the N2, N1 and N7.
Graphic: Supplied/Western Cape Government
“We will be distributing about 20 000 hand sanitisers, branded with water-saving tips. Through this event, we will be welcoming tourists into our province and making sure that they are aware of the crisis,” he said.
The MEC also said: “In early December, we will launch our radio campaign to raise awareness among local businesses. Our campaign will be commending businesses who are reducing and recycling their own water usage.”
Graphic: Supplied/Western Cape Government
Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris said the shower heads would be a small, but measurable way, to contribute to the province’s water-saving efforts.
“We realised that water scarcity is going to be a long-term problem and therefore a long-term solution was needed,” he said.
Chief executive at CapeNature Dr Razeena Omar said they would be proactive and support the campaign.