Europe’s rivers are drying up, leaving shipments stranded, cruises cancelled, and Nazi shipwrecks revealed. Meanwhile, almost 41% of the U.S. is in drought. It’s not just waterways: water flowing to the tap, toilet, and garden hose are also at risk.

The European continent is heading into its fifth heatwave and the U.S. faces similarly oppressive temperatures and thunderstorm risk. Climate change is worsening heat and drought, which feed off one another as soils, rivers, and reservoirs lose water faster than they can be replenished.

It’s having a knock-on effect on global tourism. The Danube, a popular river cruising route as it spans 10 countries in Europe, has reached record-low levels, leading to tourists being bused from port-to-port; Puerto Rico is preparing for water rationing and tourists are cancelling trips to the island; and last month Sicilian operators couldn’t reassure guests that there was enough water to flush the toilet or shower. 

Destinations, hotels, and operators must now figure out how to deal with unhappy guests, dry pools and brown lawns — and the cost of trucking in water or investing in a private water supply. 

Water technology is nascent, but smart irrigation, desalination and newer “water‑from‑air” systems are on the table. Most of it is prohibitably costly, putting it out of reach for budget hotels or small guesthouses. 

Hashem Arouz, founder of a startup Ahbstra that extracts water from air, is working with Mediterranean short-term rentals in water-scarce areas to firm up emergency supplies. When I sat down with Arouz last week, he was candid: the technology is ready, but the economics don’t make sense for the mass market. 

Property owners who rent out their villas for “big money” are his first target customers because they are the only ones that can afford it at this stage, he told me. The idea is that the system will get cheaper as it scales, though. 

For short-term rentals with a hefty nightly rate, building a private water supply is a way to protect that premium, avoid refunds, and reduce vacancy risk. Luxury guests are paying for long showers, clean pools, green — or at least not dead — grass, and working amenities like laundry- and dishwashers, after all. 

Let me know how you’re prepping for this new, dry reality at [email protected].