Question 1a
Social conflict is the tussle for supremacy in the social order. It transpires when various key players compete against each other in communal relations, in return putting forth common authority with a determination to realize ill-assorted goals and inhibit the adversary from accomplishing the goals. The friction, therefore, leads to competition for authority and lack of coexistence between individuals who are in poor relations with one another. Social conflict brings out the notion of ego-centrism, meaning that it makes one want to feel superior and better than the other thus degrading the latter. This battle for supremacy occurs a lot in the business industry where different stakeholders fight to be the best and provide the best that its competitors cannot emulate.
Tourism in Central America is a revenue-earning industry and one amongst the few in the region that generates a lot of income to the destination. As a commercial industry that is dynamic and susceptible to change to meet the demands of consumers at any given time, it poses threats of different categories. The attempt of tourism stakeholders in the region to uphold authenticity adapt to the taste and preferences of visitors tend to engage in prospects that undermine the well-being of others. They thus look for avenues and strategies for improving their products to meet consumers' needs but in the end, they create breeding grounds for conflicts. This is to say, tourism just as any other sector, may have both positive and negative impacts on the group, ecological, commercial, ethnic and political aspects of the region as a destination. I am, therefore, in agreement with Canada (2014:1) on its perception of tourism breeding social conflicts in the society.
Question 1b
Tourism has unbolted the access to a new-fangled background for conflicts though they are concomitant to the dissimilar ground. First of all, is the opposition of some of the locals to dispossession of their properties; particularly land and water; they are also against the fragmentation of their land and its new tourism resources. Another level of conflict materializes when tourism activities breed noteworthy disparaging effects, specifically on the surroundings. It aggravates reports from numerous clusters; the local societies, conservationists and some social movements who strain to halt the reparation caused by the tourists' growth. The compression implemented by the leisure industry to liberalise laws and state rules connected to taxes, entrance to the seaside, etc. epitomizes the third clash scenario. The fourth conflict deals with the multiplicity of tourism assets and its countless benefits and internal incongruities. It has led to a broad-minded dislocation of minor and medium-sized enterprises. Finally, the response to the deprivation and the increasingly dangerous working environments in both the building and in the tourism services segment has unlocked an additional front of struggle (Canada, 2010).
Question 2
Introduction
Central America as a major tourist attraction has however set in strategies to help tackle these conflicts in due course to avoid future disappointments. Solving social conflicts involve putting in ideas that will conceive positive impacts to the locals and ensure sustainability of tourism. In curbing these problems, Central America will be at the forefront in giving its tourism a new brand and unbolting doors for an increase in visitor visits to the region as it will be threat free and peaceful. The strategies to tackle some of the conflicts above would include: the strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility, introducing the UK Modern Slavery Act into the tourism industry and finally, developing and implementing an indigenous tourism model which will cater for the needs of the small and medium entrepreneurs of Central America.
This assignment aims at giving a different outlook of tourism not just as an economy builder but also a social menace that if ignored can lead to distortion as well as degradation of innumerable valued assets in Central America. This report, therefore, acts as an eye opener to the negative impacts tourism have caused to the region and an avenue for giving the right directions to follow in alleviating these conflicts.
Discussion
Corporate Social Responsibility is any initiative that is implemented to promote the social well-being of people in a given region, and avoiding the focus on the great profit the action would generate. The tourism industry has managed to build a constructive image of the sector, and one of its obligations is safeguarding the surroundings and eradicating the poor living standards of the people, this they plan to achieve through engaging in social actions as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. It has brought about collaboration with allies such as certain fragments of the international support sectors, which help to build a complimentary image through tenders for "all-encompassing business" enthused by pro-poor tourism pointed at validating the latent benefits of the presence of local residents in large tourism expansions. Moreover, the effect these sections have on numerous public tourism establishments through subsidy and practical aid reduces the self-sufficiency and capability for actions that rural segments have for guarding the recreational areas. Policies of Commercial Societal Concern and the conscription of local establishments and professionals, local industrialists, companies, etc. have funded the subsidization of the local population's aptitude to resist (Tourism-watch.de, 2016).
The UK Modern Slavery Act deals with companies that deal with service delivery businesses; it advocates for respecting human rights and stopping the exploitation of any kind in the tourism industry. With farm out becoming inevitable, tourism related companies need to make augmented efforts to identify and preclude manipulative working environments, human trading and involuntary workforce. The hotel sector is very much at risk. Although it offers a large number of occupations, most often than not, they pose severe hazards for workers, predominantly for immigrants. The UK Modern Slavery Act may be of significance in averting mistreatment at work. It significantly takes account of companies offering amenities which is different from the Cali8fornia Transparency Act. It, therefore, influences hotels and many others connected with the tourism industry (Tourism-watch.de, 2016).
It requires that any company even if not having its headquarters in the UK, will have to deliver a yearly proclamation, contracted at managerial level, on the determinations they are creating to avert forced labour in their processes. Although the UK administration allows the company to decide what actions to assume and account for, the goal is that improved transparency will reassure companies to increase their determinations in foiling manipulation rather than simply reporting on prevailing packages. One probable way that companies can validate their obligation to prevent exploitation is through the abolition of enlistment dues paid by anyone in their operations, including support staff. The implementation of the "proprietor pays" norm as practised by some key universal trademarks will help to guarantee that employment and operational practices are meritoriously and skilfully succeeded while also safeguarding the safety of workers.
The third strategy is developing an endogenous tourism model based on the economy of the local people which is concentrated on close relations where people work hand in hand regardless of the typologies of their businesses. This model is founded on an alliance between community initiatives and the local entrepreneurs both in the small and medium-sized businesses and the public authorities at the service of the vast majority of the population in Central America. This strategy calls for collective responsibility where all the daughter industries sourcing capital and resources for the strategic development of tourism are treated equally. It reduces overreliance on the big businesses owned by foreigners in most parts of the region. It also ensures equitable redistribution of wealth hence minimising spread of poverty and social inequality. This strategy prevents industrial actions from sectors who feel undermined and creates an equal ground for all workers to contribute to the economy class as Ferguson (2010) argues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, tourism poses enormous social conflicts in Central America, and the continuous growth of these impacts threaten the strategic development of tourism the region, the region has got enormous tourism resources ranging from water to land. Most of the resources are owned by the locals and are used for different activities not necessarily tourism. The diversified use of these resources poses threats of thriving conflicts between tourism stakeholders, the locals and the tourism investors. This condition is however not permanent as there are laid down strategies that have been implemented to curb this menace that affect both the public and private investors of tourism. These strategies are the use of corporate social responsibility, implementation of the UK Modern Slavery Act and developing an endogenous tourism model that is all inclusive and caters for the needs of all key players in the industry. These strategies when properly implemented will go a long way in ensuring sustainable tourism development in the region.
References
Canada, E. (2010). Tourism in Central America, social conflict in a new setting.
Tourism-watch.de, (2016). Corporate Responsibility | TOURISM WATCH InformationsdienstTourismus und Entwicklung. Retrieved 24 February 2016, from http://www.tourism-watch.de/en/meta-themen/corporate-responsibility
Ferguson, L. (2010). Tourism as a Development Strategy in Central America.CAWN.
