How Australian Hospitality Operations View Water Consumption and Water Conservation: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT Yearlong droughts and water shortages have affected several Australian areas and industries, highlighting old concerns about the future of water provisions. While these issues represent a potential difficulty for many enterprises, to date little is known about the views on water consumption and water conservation of business owners and managers, particularly hospitality operators. This study explores these dimensions from a sample of 158 predominantly small and medium enterprises located in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, Australia. The findings indicate that while operators are clearly aware of the importance of water for their businesses, for the most part it is not among their main current concerns. Operators' written comments emphasize the contentious nature of water usage in the hospitality industry, with many accepting sacrifices in monetary and initiative terms, while many others oppose any government intervention in encouraging operators to save water, or increasing water prices.