Understanding the global hotel business is not possible without paying specific attention to hotel chain management and dynamics. Chains are big business, approximately 80 percent of hotels currently being constructed around the world are chain affiliated and, in 2014, the five largest brands held over a one million rooms. The high economic importance of the hotel chains and their global presence justifies the academic research in the field however, despite this, there is no uniform coverage in the current body of literature. This Handbook aids in filling the gap by exploring and critically evaluates the debates, issues and controversies of all aspects of hotel chains from their nature, fundamentals of existence and operation, expansion, strategic and operational aspects of their activities and geographical presence. It brings together leading specialists from range of disciplinary backgrounds and regions to provide state-of-the-art theoretical reflection and empirical research on current issues and future debates. Each of the five inter-related section explores and evaluates issues that are of extreme importance to hotel chain management, focusing on theoretical issues, the expansion of hotel chains, strategic and operational issues, the view point of the individual affiliated hotel and finally the current and future debates in the theory and practice of hotel chain management arising from globalisation, demographic trends, sustainability, and new technology development. It provides an invaluable resource for all those with an interest in hotel management, hospitality, tourism and business encouraging dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and areas of study. This is essential reading for students, researchers and academics of Hospitality as well as those of Tourism, Marketing, Business and Events Management.

Understanding the global hotel business is not possible without paying specific attention to hotel chain management and dynamics. Chains are big business, approximately 80 percent of hotels currently being constructed around the world are chain affiliated and, in 2014, the five largest brands held over a one million rooms. The high economic importance of the hotel chains and their global presence justifies the academic research in the field however, despite this, there is no uniform coverage in the current body of literature. This Handbook aids in filling the gap by exploring and critically evaluates the debates, issues and controversies of all aspects of hotel chains from their nature, fundamentals of existence and operation, expansion, strategic and operational aspects of their activities and geographical presence. It brings together leading specialists from range of disciplinary backgrounds and regions to provide state-of-the-art theoretical reflection and empirical research on current issues and future debates. Each of the five inter-related section explores and evaluates issues that are of extreme importance to hotel chain management, focusing on theoretical issues, the expansion of hotel chains, strategic and operational issues, the view point of the individual affiliated hotel and finally the current and future debates in the theory and practice of hotel chain management arising from globalisation, demographic trends, sustainability, and new technology development. It provides an invaluable resource for all those with an interest in hotel management, hospitality, tourism and business encouraging dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and areas of study. This is essential reading for students, researchers and academics of Hospitality as well as those of Tourism, Marketing, Business and Events Management.

The Routledge Handbook of Tourism Experience Management and Marketing offers a comprehensive and thorough inquiry into both customary and emergent issues of tourism experience and co-creation. Drawing together contributions from 83 authors from 28 countries with varied backgrounds and interdisciplinary interests, the handbook highlights multiple representations and interpretations of the theme. It also integrates a selection of illustrative global case studies to effectively present its chapter contents. Tourism experience drives the contemporary tourist’s behavior as they travel in pursuit of experiencing unique and unusual destinations and activities. Creating a memorable and enduring experience is therefore a prerequisite for the all tourism business organizations irrespective of the nature of their products or services. This handbook focuses on conceptualizing, designing, staging, managing and marketing paradigms of tourism experiences from both supply and demand perspectives. It sheds substantial light on the contemporary theories, practices and future developments in the arena of experiential tourism management and marketing. Encompassing the latest thinking and research themes, this will be an essential reference for upper-level students, researchers, academics and industry practitioners of hospitality as well as those of tourism, gastronomy, management, marketing, consumer behavior, cultural studies, development studies and international business, encouraging dialogue across disciplinary boundaries.

This handbook analyzes the main issues in the field of hospitality marketing by focusing on past, present and future challenges and trends from a multidisciplinary global perspective. The book uniquely combines both theoretical and practical approaches in debating some of the most important marketing issues faced by the hospitality industry. Parts I and II define and examine the main hospitality marketing concepts and methodologies. Part III offers a comprehensive review of the development of hospitality marketing over the years. The remaining parts (IV–IX) address key cutting-edge marketing issues such as innovation in hospitality, sustainability, social media, peer-to-peer applications, Web 3.0 etc. in a wide variety of hospitality settings. In addition, this book provides a platform for debate and critical evaluation that enables the reader to learn from the industry’s past mistakes as well as future opportunities. The handbook is international in its constitution as it attempts to examine marketing issues, challenges and trends globally, drawing on the knowledge of experts from around the world. Because of the nature of hospitality, which often makes it inseparable from other industries such as tourism, events, sports and even retail, the book has a multidisciplinary approach that will appeal to these disciplines as well as others including management, human resources, technology, consumer behavior and anthropology.

Consumer behaviour is one of the most explored topics in tourism and hospitality marketing, interchangeably denoted by the terms ‘traveller behaviour’, ‘tourist behaviour’ or ‘guest behaviour’. Consumer behaviour acts as an origin for every tourism and hospitality marketing activity. It offers an understanding of why people tend to choose certain products or services and what sort of factors influence them in making their decision. The decision process of buying tourism products or services takes time, because they are mostly intangible in nature due to which there are many risks involved in their buying process. The Routledge Handbook of Consumer Behaviour in Hospitality and Tourism aims to explore and critically examine current debates, critical reflections of contemporary ideas, controversies and pertinent queries relating to the rapidly expanding discipline of consumer behaviour in hospitality and tourism. The Handbook offers a platform for dialogue across disciplinary and national boundaries and areas of study through its diverse coverage. It is divided into six parts: Part I offers an overview of consumer behaviour; Part II focuses on the service quality perspectives of consumer behaviour; Part III deliberates on customer satisfaction and consumer behaviour linkages; Part IV explores the re-patronage behaviour of consumers; Part V addresses the vital issues concerning online consumer behaviour; and Part VI elaborates upon other emerging paradigms of consumer behaviour. Although there is no dearth of empirical studies on different viewpoints of consumer behaviour, there is a scarcity of literature providing conceptual information. The present Handbook is organised to offer a comprehensive theoretical body of knowledge narrating consumer behaviour, especially for hospitality and tourism businesses and operations. It attempts to fill this research gap by offering a 'globalised' volume comprising chapters organised using both practical and academic approaches. This Handbook is essential reading for students, researchers and academics of Hospitality as well as those of Tourism, Marketing, International Business and Consumer Behaviour.

This book offers students a uniquely concise, accessible and comprehensive introduction to hotel accommodation management that covers the range of managerial subjects and disciplines in the sector. The book focuses on enduring aspects of the accommodation management function (front office management, housekeeping, revenue management); the changing context of hotel accommodation provision (the move to ‘asset light’, the supply of accommodation, trends in hotel investment and asset management, the challenges engendered by social media and the collaborative economy to the hotel market); and the role of accommodation in additional and integrated facilities and markets (spas, resorts, MICE markets). International case studies illustrating examples of practice in the industry are integrated throughout, along with study questions and other features to aid understanding and problem solving. This is essential reading for all hospitality and hotel management students.