Waste product manufacturer, Glad, has developed a festival shelter designed to become a receptacle for trash and thrown away after use. The Glad Tent is made from the same durable and waterproof material as ForceFlex garbage bags and can house one person along with their rucksack. Once the festival is over the tent can easily be transformed into a large trash bag to collect any rubbish or festival waste floating around the campsite.

Further information: http://almaad.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWafX3cgV30

Tourforce is now also available on Facebook! Here we will share not only Tourforce every month but also focus on topical subjects in the tourism sector such as technology, innovation, and sustainability.

We encourage you to share your projects, advice, curiosity, events and relevant information regarding the tourism sector. The most interesting might be used for the in future editions of Tourforce.

Join the new Tourforce Facebook Group now: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourforce/

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced the judges for its prestigious 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

The Awards recognise the very best in sustainable tourism worldwide. In their 10th year under WTTC stewardship, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have been expanded to reflect the broadening scope of WTTC’s sustainability agenda. There are now six award categories, with the addition of two entirely new awards to recognise the areas of human resources and innovation.

The Awards are among the most coveted in the Travel & Tourism industry, each year recognising the most innovative businesses and destinations in sustainable tourism best practices. The selection of finalists and winners includes a rigorous three-step judging process culminating in an on-site expert field evaluation of all finalists to document best practices in action.

To find out more, Click Here to read the full article

Rain water harvesting, may be just another coping mechanism for communities struggling with unpredicted weather patterns, a humanitarian organization has suggested. The impacts of climate change are already visible, in the sense that temperatures and rainfall variability have increased in the past decades. A lot of water goes to waste when heavy rains are experienced in Kenya. Many communities have not fully invested in rain water harvesting techniques which could supply them with water for several months before the dry spells sink in. Rain water harvesting has been  listed among specific measures that the water sector in Africa need to undertake to cope with the changing harsh climatic conditions.

To read the full article Click Here

Brand USA, the tourism marketing body for the United States of America has teamed up with ESPN to produce a suite of sport and destination feature videos which focus on major sports teams where visitors can catch a game or get involved in various sporting activities across all 50 USA states. Built into an interactive map called the United States of Sports the videos highlight pro sports teams including baseball, football and basketball and the best place to watch them.

Further information: http://www.discoveramerica.com/usa/espn-getinthegame.aspx

International value hotel group Tune Hotels has opened its first Australian property in Melbourne. The 225-room property is the 34th for Tune Hotels that has pioneered the pay-as-you-use concept where guests only pay for room rates with the option of adding on other amenities like towels and toiletries, in-room Wi-Fi and satellite TV service to keep costs down, reduce waste and save energy. Apart from Tune Hotel Melbourne, the group has 11 hotels in operation and available for booking in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, the UK, Thailand, India and Japan.

Further information: http://www.tunehotels.com/my/en/

To coincide with the launch of a new Microsoft console, Hotel O Paris enlisted the help of a local digital marketing company Agence Rouge to create the Xbox One Hotel. The bar and a number of the accommodation areas have been given over to all things Xbox One, with consoles everywhere and some rooms themed around specific games.

Further information: http://xboxonehotel.com/

The Dubai Taxi Corporation is now officially training its cabbies to act as tourist guides while they’re on the job. Operating as part of the government’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the company has launched a course that helps drivers to sharpen their skills when it comes to providing information about tourist opportunities in the United Arab Emirate. Some 1590 taxi drivers have already graduated from the courses, enabling them to provide extra value to passengers with advice on hotels, restaurants and sightseeing locations.

Further information: http://dtc.dubai.ae/en/Pages/default.aspx

Virgin America has released a new in-flight safety video that incorporates an energetic and educational pre-flight dance and musical performance. The airline launched the video on Google Play, YouTube and digital billboards across Times Square. The ‘VX Safety Dance’ will premiere on flights across the domestic airline’s fleet and includes some of the top dancers, singers and choreographers from American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Members of the public also have the opportunity to be cast in a future version of the video by submitting their own freestyle #VXSafetyDance moves via Instagram.

Further information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtyfiPIHsIg

The Queensland Government has released a new Economic Directions statement for Queensland Airports 2013-2023. The statement aims to drive airport expansion and employment across 40 of the state’s leading airports with strategic significance for economic growth.

Further information: http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/economic-development/economic-directions-statement-queensland-airports-2013-2023.html

Cape Town Tourism's second #lovecapetown international blogger hosting event has generated some positive results for the destination with an estimated 42 282 508 opportunities to see the #lovecapetown conversation across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram during the hosting period. The bloggers represented themes through food and design as well as travel in order to reach a broader and more diverse audience from the UK, Brazil and USA. Bloggers tweeted, posted to Instagram and Facebook, and wrote blogs about their stay.

Further information: http://www.capetown.travel/lovecapetown

The Queensland Government is seeking Expressions of Interest for a zipline canopy tour at the Obi Obi Gorge in the Kondalilla National Park on the Sunshine Coast. The first stage in the process is to consider concepts for the site and ensure the proponents are able to finance and operate the site responsibly. Experienced individuals or organisations with the necessary skills, creativity and financial resources are encouraged to apply by 28 February 2014.

Further information: http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/tourism/ecotourism/investments.html

New York State Division of Tourism's iconic "I Love New York" heart logo has had a green makeover to celebrate the launch of responsibletravel.com's new guide to responsible tourism in New York State. The guide encourages travellers to escape the confines of the Big Apple and to discover inspirational travel experiences, which also support local New York State communities.

Further information: http://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/new-york-state/travel-guide

Tourism Research Australia has released the State of Industry Report 2013 on tourism’s contribution to the national economy. The report assesses the performance of the Australian tourism industry and highlights longer-term issues affecting its performance based on tourism expenditure, exports and employment. The report also shows that Australia is still tracking in the lower range of the Tourism 2020 target of doubling overnight expenditure.

Further information: http://www.tra.gov.au/publications-list-State_of_the_Industry_2013.html

According to both Expedia and American Express ‘The Millennials’ are a generation larger than the Baby Boomers and already form the next great wave of travel agency customers accounting for 20% of global travel spend. The Future of Travel Study notes that travellers between 18 and 30 years old love their loyalty programs and are the most connected of generations. They are on the road for business about 30% more than older workers, are more likely to extend a business trip into a personal vacation and to post a negative review.

Further information: http://viewfinder.expedia.com/features/future-of-travel-report

TripAdvisor has launched the results of its accommodation and traveller survey - the TripBarometer. The survey reveals the leading travel and hospitality industry trends, according to over 19,000 travellers and over 10,000 accommodation business owners around the world.

Further information: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/tripbarometer-us

According to HotelChatter's Hotel Wi-Fi Report 2013, most hotel guests no longer simply look for lodging that can offer them a decent bed, air conditioning and a private bathroom; the majority of travellers prefer accommodations that come with fast, free in-room Wi-Fi. The report provides a list of hotels that offer free Wi-Fi as well as those where the guests are charged for the use of wireless internet.

Further information: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/4/27/12444/1162/
hotels/The_2013_HotelChatter_Hotel_WiFi_Report

A new guide was recently launched to help Australian tourism regions develop Tourist Employment Plans to better meet their unique workforce needs. The guide helps planners overcome labour and skills challenges and ensure the high quality tourism experiences. There are currently eight Tourism Employment Plans being rolled out across Australia under Tourism 2020.

Further information: http://www.ret.gov.au/tourism/policies/nltts/
workinggrps/labour/TEPs/Documents/Tourism-2020-Guide-TEP.pdf

The Tourism 2025 was launched at the 2013 Tourism Industry Association (TIA) New Zealand Summit in Wellington in October. The plan aims to improve the overall visitor experience and is a framework to grow the value of the $23 billion New Zealand tourism industry. The TIA is working with both the private sector and public sector to develop Tourism 2025 that aims to unite and inspire the industry to focus on growth and offering a quality visitor experience.

Further information: http://www.tianz.org.nz/main/NZ-Tourism-2025-Growth-Framework/

Tourism Victoria, in partnership with CFA, has produced a new toolkit to assist tourism businesses prepare for bushfires. The Tourism Business Fire Ready Kit guides business owners through the decision making process to develop a plan to suit their business. It helps businesses understand their risks, prepare their business and employees, plan how to inform their customers, identify their triggers to act and prepare a plan.

Further information: http://www.tourism.vic.gov.au/business-tools-support/crisis-resources/preparing-your-business-for-bushfire.html

The Airports Council International has released an update on its voluntary climate change initiative, the Airport Carbon Accreditation. The program began in 2009 and has expanded beyond its initial European focus to include airports in the Asia-Pacific region, the Gulf and Africa. The program has helped frame and support the collective work that airports are doing to make their operations more carbon efficient and their business more sustainable.

Further information: http://www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org/

Since 2004 the World Responsible Tourism Awards have celebrated change and innovation in the tourism industry by recognising tourism ventures, individuals and destinations from all over the world with inspiring approaches to responsible tourism. In 10 years it has attracted over 11,000 nominations from members of the public, leading to 225 unique organisations awarded from 55 countries around the world.

Further information: http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards/

The ENTER 2014 Conference will be held 21-24 January 2014 in Dublin, Ireland. Organised by the International Federation for Information Technology and Travel and Tourism the conference offers a worldwide forum for attendees from academia, industry, government and other organisations to actively exchange, share and challenge research and case studies on the eTourism and destination marketing innovation.

Further information: http://enter2014.org/

The CAUTHE Conference will be held 10-13 February 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. The conference theme is tourism and hospitality in the contemporary world: trends, changes and complexity.

Further information: http://tourism.uq.edu.au/CAUTHE2014/

The 2nd Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism Conference will be held 4-9 April 2014 in Rotorua, New Zealand. The conference will be based on the principles adopted in the Larrakia Declaration that aims to uphold and respect traditional laws, knowledge, land and heritage in public policy decision-making and programs for the development of Indigenous Tourism.

Further information: http://www.pata.org/events/pata-pacific-asia-indigenous-tourism-conference-2014

The 2014 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), to be held in Sarawak, Malaysia, will take place from 16 to 23 January. ATF aims to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination where Asian hospitality and cultural diversity are at its best. Besides this, ATF promotes the exchange of ideas, review of industry developments and joint formulation of recommendations to further accelerate the growth of ASEAN tourism. This year’s program will continue to explore the sustainable development of tourism and will go deeper into how tourism initiatives and plans can further support protected and conserved areas.

Further information: http://www.atf-malaysia.com/