Gatekeepers of demand: lessons from Pre-COVID Hotel-Tour operator contracting in the post-pandemic digital age

This paper aims to examine how major tour operators function as gatekeepers of demand in hotel-tour operator contracting. Its aim is to critique how control over market access, demand information and contractual conditions creates power asymmetries for small and medium-sized accommodation providers. Drawing on qualitative evidence from the Mediterranean tourism context, the study identifies the main sources of negotiation conflict, the strategies hotels use to rebalance weaker bargaining positions and the theoretical implications for tourism distribution. The paper also develops a negotiation base and negotiation model to clarify how more balanced contracting relationships may be achieved.