Six suitcases filled with water helped raise awareness about the Algarve’s water struggles at Faro Airport
A creative campaign urging tourists in the Algarve to save water has received international attention. ‘The Case for Saving Water’, part of the larger ‘Save Water’ campaign, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Cannes Lions, the world’s most prestigious festival for advertising and communications.
Developed by the national and regional tourism entities Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Algarve, the campaign is a finalist in the ‘Media – Breakthrough on a Budget’ category for the original way it informed visitors about the importance of saving water in the Algarve, using six transparent suitcases filled with seawater rolling around the baggage claim carousel at Faro Airport.
Each suitcase carried a message about water scarcity, advising tourists to be mindful of water use during their stay. Together, the suitcases symbolised 235 litres – the amount of water a tourist could save each day through responsible choices.
The stunt reportedly had an impact, with many visitors, otherwise unaware of the region’s water struggles, prompted into changing their behaviour during their stay.
In fact, hotels and resorts participating in the Save Water initiative managed to cut total water use by 13%, saving an estimated 348,000 cubic metres – roughly 2% of the Algarve’s reservoir capacity.
