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76 centre±periphery
produced, becomes a problem of social control
rather than market forces.
Therefore, in centrally planned economies the
decision to produce particular levels of output of
tourism products is a social and political rather
than an economic decision. Unlike market economies,
rewards are distributed amongst residents
according to social criteria and the system has the
capability to attribute all forms of factor usage to
segments of the population and industries. In
contrast the market economies face the problems
associated with the depletion of non-priced
elements of production and consumption, such as
the culture and the environment. Within mixed
economies, there is some attempt to cover the
production costs of non-priced goods, such as road
networks and public health, by means of government
fiscal revenue. It can be argued that this
introduces some social organisational control over
the distribution of income and costs. More recent
times seem to have indicated that market-based
economies have been more successful than their
centrally planned counterparts, as exemplified by
the break-up of the Soviet Union. However, it
would be misleading to assume that market
economies do not present problems that will need
to be overcome to ensure their survival.
Further reading
Allcock, J. and Przeclawski, K. �eds) Tourism in
Centrally-Planned Economies, a special issue of
Annals of Tourism Research 17�1).
centre±periphery
JOHN FLETCHER, UK
Centre±periphery, also termed core±periphery,
relationships refer to the links between a powerful
centre, such as an urban concentration of
demand, and more distant, less powerful areas
which are often suppliers of wilderness, rural and
dispersed tourism opportunities. The Mediterranean
coast and the Caribbean may be regarded as
peripheral to the urban areas of western Europe
and the northeast United States, respectively.
See also: pleasure periphery
chain hotels
GEOFFREY WALL, CANADA
The hotel sector is comprised of both independent
and chain hotels. The latter now account for over
60 per cent of the total of 6.9 million hotel
bedrooms worldwide. Chain hotels are made up of
affiliated properties by virtue of the fact that the
chain is contracted on a continuing basis to be
responsible for putting in place at least one
management function in the whole system. A hotel
chain is thus an organisation that competes in the
tourism industry, either locally, nationally, regionally
or internationally, with more than one unit of
similar concept or theme.
The affiliation between a hotel and a chain can
be of several types, and these exhibit different
degrees of control of the chain over its hotels. The
degree of control depends upon the business
format. The hotel could be wholly owned and
operated by the chain, or it could be a leased,
franchised, contracted or co-operative unit. A hotel
chain would have greater control over its hotels if
they were fully owned rather than, for example, if
they were franchised.
As a member of a chain, the hotel is likely to be
able to gain access to a wide range of markets, have
better representation and referral within a chain
and be part of sophisticated marketing strategies
�including corporate loyalty schemes, for example).
It may also have brand name recognition and
bargaining power over suppliers and buyers. Access
may be available to the most up-to-date systems
and procedures, project design and management,
technical services, more favourable capital terms
and central reservation systems. The chain hotel
might be able to participate in training and
management development programmes and thus
offer quality and consistency guarantees in its
products and services. The hotel chain itself may
be affiliated to a conglomerate or related organisation,
thus providing additional market value and
financial linkages.
A large proportion of the top hotel chains have
at least 70 per cent of their rooms in hotels outside