Craft in the Age of Tourism

India is considered one of the top ten destinations for tourists in the world. Considering the changing nature of tourism for leisure and pleasure, India could tap the opportunity by exploring the way that will benefit and sustain the crafts community throughout the country. In this chapter, we examine craft in the age of tourism for India. 

Factors that develop the market potential for Crafts

Tourists’ preferences

• Limitation of Air Travel: Since cargo weight is a significant problem, tourists’ purchases must be either unusual or so competitive in price that they find them irresistible. Tourists’ preferences of buying articles must be according to the price of reasonable demand

• The Selectiveness of Tourists: Tourists prefer high-quality products rather than poorly designed, cheap, outdated souvenirs of the past. Including the articles according to the tourist’s preferences will fetch benefits

• Ethnic and Innovation: Simple innovations like changing a colour or size can make a traditional ethnic item a best-seller. For example, a small shawl by women in Western countries, Stole, is nothing but traditional dupatta by the weavers from Varanasi

• Maintenance: Travellers do not want things that are difficult to maintain. For example, a decline in the demand for metal crafts like bidri, silver, and brassware has been found recently
• Vocal for local: Tourists nowadays enjoy experimenting with all the local styles. Holiday clothes, local styles and accessories are, therefore, areas that could be developed

Popular Sales Outlets for Crafts 

• Local Shops nearby Tourist sites: Famous tourist sites like Taj Mahal, Khajuraho, Varanasi, etc., attract a large influx of tourists and are surrounded by little shops and stalls. However, these are full of cheap alabaster works, lacking the genuineness of a craftsperson. Popular Sales Outlets for Crafts are of absolute importance as they are the reigning factors for deciding the best Sales Outlets for Crafts and products. This will also promote crafts in the age of tourism

• Government-run Emporia for Handicraft: Every city has a government-run Cottage Industries and State Handicraft Emporia

• It was an innovation as India was the first country with a policy and also a Ministry for Handlooms and Handicrafts
• For example, Baba Kharak Singh Marg in Delhi has a row of crafts emporia run by the State Handicrafts Corporations’ shops

• Privately run tourist complexes: Commercial complexes mix a rural lifestyle, craft, music, ethnic food, and dance such as Vishaala in Gujarat, Swabhumi in Kolkata, etc

Future for Handicraft Marketing

• Knowing all the details of the products by appreciating the craftsmen’s lifestyle and method of working is imperative to enter handicraft marketing

• From procurement arrangements to efficient distribution outlets, the whole enterprise should be managed in a business-like way
• The initial or basic steps for proper marketing are setting realistic cost prices with a reasonable mark-up for retail and wholesale prices

New Avenues for Craft Development

Craft development means crafting tourist spaces, such as hotels, restaurants, and scenic spots. Following are some new avenues of craft development:

• Use of Local crafts: All kinds of local Crafts and skills can enhance and accent tourist places. For example, Devigarh and Neemrana are listed as Heritage Hotels in Rajasthan

• Museums and Airports: These could act as beautiful venues for selling quality handicrafts. Airports are the last impression visitors have of India

• Craft Bazar: These bazaars provide an excellent opportunity for craftsmen to become aware of consumers’ tastes and trends. Also, urban middle-class consumers can learn about the huge range of regional craft skills, materials, and techniques

• Natural and cultural heritage sites: These sites can become a catalyst and an inspiration for change
• Such places can become craft production centres where wonderful new crafts by craftsmen and designers are developed, inspired by the historical site
• Skilled young craftsmen in Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu) and Konark (Orissa) train and produce wonderful new pieces inspired by the monuments

The decline of Craft with Tourism

Kashmir is a classic example whose entire economy was based on tourism and craft, especially on foreign tourists. But over a while, it declined. There are various factors for the decline of craft, and a few to note are:

• Due to the decades of conflict in the region, a foreign tourist does not visit Kashmir, severely affecting its economy. This led to the primary cause of the decline of craft

• The tourist business was so big and connected that no effort was done to accommodate the arts to social customer wants and budgets

• The crafts initially designed for local consumption, like the pherans and shawls, were gradually reduced to souvenirs and gift items aimed at the tourist trade

Craft and Survival

Kutch, in contrast to Kashmir, has repeatedly been an instrument of dynamic economic survival and revival. It used its rich craft heritage to generate tourism. 

• The products made here range from everyday terracotta objects to fabulous jewellery and embroideries

• In both the six-year drought (the 1980s) and earthquake (2001), crafts came to the rescue. The craft smiths were the first to recover from the trauma and re-established their markets

New Trends in Craft Development

India and its crafts communities need to find innovative ways to get a prominent place for their craft in the global market. Crafts development is an essential phase in the diversity of Indian craft commodities. 

Following are some of the trends:

• Catering for a Variety of Tastes: People in all societies travel both within their own country and neighbouring nations generating new markets and new consumers

• Promoting Cultural Values: Craft development should inculcate cultural wisdom and family values

• Organic and Sustainable: Conscientious tourists now seek organically grown and environment-friendly products. Organic crafts should be marked and labelled so that the Indian crafts industry serves the growing conscientious market well

• Branding Natural and Handmade: Each nation has a unique identity that can be used to create a brand. For example, Swiss-made watches and knives are associated with quality and innovation

• Asian labels: ‘handloom’, ‘handmade’, ‘natural dyed’, ‘natural fibres’
• Brand India: India needs to clearly define its core values and national identities and purposefully build more significant natural brand equity and value
• Sometimes, Negative associations also transfer, like Chinese products are generally not perceived as sound

• Design: Craft must keep re-inventing itself and respond to the shifts in society and lifestyles. Static nature for craft design gradually withers away and dies. 

• India: Craftsmen in India still do the most incredible work and host different regional traditions and materials, but product design has not kept pace with contemporary trends and styling
• Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines are more innovative in adapting traditional skills to crafts products that are picturesquely Asian yet contemporary
• Presentation and Packaging: It is one of the weakest areas in the Indian crafts chain. This information is as valuable as the product for today’s eco-minded traveller

Interesting Points

Some popular Souvenirs from India:

• Folk art – Madhubani paintings, Bastar metalwork
• Pashmina shawls, Block-printed fabric
• Carpets and durries, Embossed and embroidered leather
• Kundan, silver, and semi-precious jewellery
• Silk – material, garments, scarves, and stoles

In conclusion:-

The nature of tourism has shifted, with tourists now travelling for leisure and pleasure rather than culture and architecture. This new type of traveller is frequently looking to purchase ethnic crafts or souvenirs as a memento of their trip. What kinds of crafts do visitors to India buy? Where do they get them? These are some of the issues to consider.