The water and energy consumption of the tourism industry in 2020 fell to its lowest level over a nine-year period, as the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restricted the movement of people.
According to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) yesterday, the total water consumption of tourism was 109.62 million cubic meters (m3) in 2020, or 84.6 percent lower than the 711.61 million m3 recorded in 2019.
The PSA data showed that from 2012 to 2019, the average water consumption of tourism was 440.99 million m3.
The share of tourism to total water consumption of the economy was 2.5 percent in 2020, lower than the average share of 14.8 percent from 2012 to 2019, the PSA said.
Meanwhile, the energy consumption of tourism was only 3,533.24 kilotonnes of oil equivalent (KTOE) in 2020, or 4.6 percent of the total energy consumption of the economy from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products for the year.
This was lower by 80.9 percent compared to 18,534.47 KTOE recorded in 2019.
From 2012 to 2019, the PSA said that the average energy consumption of tourism from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products was 11,264.48 KTOE.
It accounted for an average share of 16.6 percent to the total energy consumption of the economy from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products in the same period.
Meanwhile, Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission resulting from the use of electricity and petroleum and other fuel products by the tourism sector was 4,475.62 Gigagrams (Gg), 79.1 percent lower than the 21,372.91 Gg recorded in 2019.
It posted an average of 13,292.94 Gg or 19.7 percent share of the total CO2 emission of the economy from 2012 to 2019. – Angela Celis
