The coordination of tourism market along patron-client relations

Abstract

In my article I try to elaborate on the dichotomy of market and firm with the presentation of a “firm-like market”. In course of my researches, I have investigated the formation of tourism market in the Hungarian Szatmar area and analyze it with economic sociological methods. In the village of Szatmáregres the mayor organizes touristic market with the help of hierarchy along patron-client relation: he selects the actors, coordinates and monitors the activities and he may delicately pressure on the actors as well. He helps such actors to enter the market who would be incapable to do so on their own, since they have got no sufficient capital and appropriate entrepreneurial skills. The novelty of the case presented could be that hierarchical control not only supplements contractual relations concerning market partners, but it also creates the actors of the market themselves.