“There is a plan in place that all of the alternative water sources will come on board before Day Zero comes,” Nadasen said. “The current situation in Cape Town is going to become the new normal. We’ve got to be responsible as well.”

Africa’s biggest tourist destination is deploying drastic measures to keep water running as long as possible after a three-year long drought all but exhausted local reservoirs.

Cape Town residents have been urged to use as little water as possible, with the daily allocation set at 50 liters per person, and hotels have removed bath plugs and urged visitors to keep toilet flushing to a minimum.

About 1.6 million tourists visit the Cape Town area per year and spend about R40bn ($3.3bn), according to South African Tourism. Co-operation between industry and government can ensure the tourism economy remains robust, the industry body’s chief executive officer, Sisa Ntshona, told reporters.

“South Africa cannot afford to lose confidence as a tourist destination,” he said.

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