Sustaining Handicrafts Through Governmental and Community Support: Implications for Handicrafts Tourism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6632463Keywords:
crafts, history, tourism, sustainability, india, economic development, employmentAbstract
Handicrafts sector attracts millions of international tourists to India. The crafts sector, along with agriculture, is central to India’s rural development. It is one of the largest contributors to the country’s informal economy. In addition to domestic consumption, crafts are also a major tourism product. This manuscript positions the current tryst of the craft sector in its historic context, observes lingering and unfolding challenges for the sector and proposes sustainable revitalization strategies. During the course of history, India saw different kinds of governmental systems and changes in the social mores; crafts remained a significant area of attention and it survived even those disruptive changes that happened occasionally in the fashion consciousness of the society. By interlinking economy, society, tourism, and culture in this paper, the authors also attempt to transform the narrative about crafts as something that gives a sense of meaning and purpose to the very idea of India. It also makes handicrafts a very unique tourism product offering a distinct competitive advantage for the nation.
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