The worldwide expansion of the tourism industry creates many encounters between global agents and local forces, yet the host-guest interaction is rarely considered from the point of view of the experience of work. This study documents and discusses such a global-local encounter, based on fieldwork carried out in hotels in Barbados and Malta. Insight is drawn froma a review of such issues as recruitment, promotion, redundancy, discipline, security, communication, expertise, total quality management iniatives, trade unionism and industrial action.

The worldwide expansion of the tourism industry creates many encounters between global agents and local forces, yet the host-guest interaction is rarely considered from the point of view of the experience of work. This study documents and discusses such a global-local encounter, based on fieldwork carried out in hotels in Barbados and Malta. Insight is drawn from a review of such issues as recruitment, promotion, redundancy, discipline, security, communication, expertise, total quality management iniatives, trade unionism and industrial action.