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582 tipping
and other facilities. Timeshare acquires its importance
from several advantages and criteria,
including high utilisation for the tourist unit all
over the year, increasing the number of tourist
arrivals and nights through the exchange programme,
and nourishing the individual tourism
movement. As for the timesharers, buyers pay for
the time they use; they pay a one-time reasonable
fee for the unit plus a yearly maintenance fee for
the unit.
The exchange programme is now cited as a
primary motivation for purchase. Not all exchange
systems are alike. They have different
philosophies and operate under different performance
and affiliation standards. Resort Condominiums
International is still the leading exchange
company worldwide. The other famous international
companies are Interval International,
Whippy and Club Mediterranean. There are
leading associations aiming to embrace the timeshare
industry worldwide, such as the American
Resort and Residential Development Association in
the United States and Timeshare Council in UK.
Recognising the growth, impact and problems
that might ensue from the application of timesharing,
many countries now have statutes or
regulations to control this growing industry.
tipping
WEASEL ABU-ALAM, EGYPT
Tips, or gratuities, are a traditional element of pay
for many employees within the hospitality and
tourism industries. They are discretionary payments
made by the customer directly to the
employee in recognition of the quality of the
service provided. There are, however, some
cultural/national variations in tipping customs;
tipping is expected in some cultures and not in
others. Tipping must not be confused with service
charge, which is imposed by the employer as a
means of increasing revenue, and may or may not
be redistributed to all employees.
Tipping is most prominent where there is a direct
and personal service to the customer, and so its
significance to the employee may vary from one
sector of the industry to another and from one job to
another. Hotels and restaurants are the most likely
businesses where tipping may form a substantial
proportion of take-home pay, whereas bars, pubs,
clubs and contract catering outlets may attract few
gratuities. The job categories where tipping may be
at a high or varying level are in food and beverage
service, luggage porters and concierge, whereas
back-of-house positions and departments such as
housekeeping normally attract few tips.
Although in many cases the individual employees
keep their own tips �and handle their own
income tax declaration), there are also systems of
pooling the amounts, sometimes known as the
tronc, to be divided out at regular intervals on
some pre-agreed basis. A points system often
prevails where senior and long-service staff may
receive a larger share of the pool. Such a system
may also include the non-service workers, in
recognition of their contribution. If such a pooling
arrangement exists, it is necessary to appoint a
senior member of staff to be the official supervisor
of the pool, to ensure propriety and to deal with
taxation issues. In addition to cash being given by
customers as a tip, it is increasingly the case that an
amount may be added to the bill by customers and
thus paid as total settlement of the bill via cheque
or credit card. Here, the onus rests with the
employer to redistribute these non-cash tips as
additional pay through the normal wages system.
Further reading
Boella, M., Calabrese, M., Goodwin, C. and Goss-
Turner, S. �1996) Catering Questions & Answers:
Employment Law, Kingston-upon-Thames:
Croner Publications Ltd.
tour
STEVEN GOSS-TURNER, UK
Once defined as any journey from one place to
another, a tour is now commonly used in two
distinct senses; to describe either a day trip or
excursion, or any touristic journey involving a
period of travel and overnight stay. The tourism
industry uses package tour or inclusive tour to
describe an itinerary put together by a tour