The constant tourist growth "leads to the deterioration of the environment." This is stated in the study Fundamentals for measuring the sustainability of tourism, prepared between the Government of the Canary Islands and the public universities of the archipelago.
Broadly speaking, "the increase in the arrival of tourists increases economic activities, the production of goods and services," and implies "greater energy consumption."
Tourist destinations, such as the Canary Islands in general and Lanzarote in particular, use "a significant amount" of energy to import "supplies, transport water and dispose of waste" in the tourist complexes themselves.
The aforementioned research states that the tourism sector has become "a global economic sector" where accommodation, aviation and commerce are grouped together. All these sectors "are contributing to climate change" by emitting greenhouse gases, such as methane.
In particular, the role of air transport, the main one in the Canary Islands to transport tourists, plays a "significant" role in the increase in energy consumption and the emission of polluting gases. To which must be added naval and road transport. Such is the case that the study affirms that "there is an increasing gap" between the emissions derived from tourism and those of the transport sector, which is the one that contributes the most to climate change.
Energy consumption in Canary Island hotels
Not all Canary Island hotel accommodations consume the same amount of energy. The highest category hotels "triple" energy consumption compared to medium category hotels (between three or four stars) and consume five times more than the lowest category hotels (one to two stars).
This is despite the fact that the Canary Islands "presents a differentiated panorama" due to its "mild climate" that does not require the use of heating during the winter. More electrical energy is consumed in the islands than in the national average (65.6%); while less thermal energy (34.4%) is consumed than in the national average, coming from natural gas, propane or diesel.
In addition, the hotel, accommodation and restaurant sector in the islands represented 15.9% of the total electricity demand in 2019, behind domestic use (35.7%) and administration and other public services (18.2%).
With data published in 2021, diesel (57.5%) and propane (39.5%) are the most used fossil fuels in Canary Island hotels.
Thus, most of the energy consumed by Canary Island hotels is used for air conditioning (30.8%), hot water and swimming pools (22%), laundry and kitchens (21.2%), rooms (10.5%) and general lighting (8%).
Therefore, the study indicates that "hotels should be converted, installing self-generation equipment" to reduce emissions and dependence. At the same time, they are asked to "modernize the desalination plants" existing in tourist complexes to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and reduce "the interdependence" between water and energy. In addition, it highlights that tourists "consider more attractive" those destinations that have "an ecological image."
