International Franchising at Best Western

Abstract

Internationalization remains an important task for network operators in the hotel sector. They must try to adapt their chain to the country they want to penetrate, but this is not always easy. To internationalize their operations the majority of firms choose a franchising system. However, Best Western (BW) has successfully developed and implemented the use of a wholly unique system of internationalization by using affiliated networks. This organizational structure allows for rapid international expansion while retaining the ability to tailor what they are offering to local environments. The purpose of this paper is twofold. In the first section, we review the international tourism and hotel sectors. Then, in the following section, we analyze the internationalization strategy and processes of Best Western. Its organization is neither franchised nor company owned, but rather an affiliation network, which is worth studying in the context of internationalization. Finally, the limitations of this paper and tracks for future research are summarized in the Conclusion.