Final answer:
The hotel industry adopted yield management strategies primarily from airlines, with American Airlines being an early adopter in the 1980s. Central reservation offices were influenced by auto rental companies, such as Avis, to manage inventory and enhance distribution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hotel industry is known for adopting strategic techniques from various industries to maximize profits and efficiency. One such strategy is yield management, which is a pricing strategy based on understanding, anticipating, and influencing consumer behavior to maximize revenue or profits from a fixed, perishable resource (such as hotel room nights). The concept of yield management was first adopted by airlines, particularly by American Airlines in the 1980s, in response to deregulation and the increase in competition.
Similarly, the adoption of central reservation offices was influenced by the efficiencies identified in other industries that managed broad networks of availability, like auto rental companies, with Avis being a notable example. These systems allowed companies to track and allocate their inventory centrally, leading to better distribution and increased occupancy rates.