Abstract
The handicraft sector plays an important role in providing economic benefits of tourism to local communities. However, this sector is threatened by globalized supply chains. This conceptual chapter explores the synergistic value of linking the experience economy, creative tourism, and fair-trade principles to increase the benefits of the handicraft sector to local communities while supporting positive tourist experiences. The handicraft sector contributes to the livelihoods of marginalized members of the supply chain side of a destination by opening opportunities for adding value to their tangible products through co-created experiences. Furthermore, the creative potential allows tourists to create memories, connecting with producers in interesting and meaningful ways, when fair-trade principles are integrated as part of the tourist experience. To ensure a balanced synergy and active connection between experience economy, creative tourism, and fair-trade concepts, well-trained and skilled artists, art managers, and creative entrepreneurs are needed in tourist destinations.
TopIntroduction
The handicraft sector is an important segment of the tourism industry, particularly for communities in lesser economically developed countries (LEDCs). Broadly, tourism handicrafts can be described as souvenirs, tokens, or artisan works, representing a destination image or cultural heritage. Carvings, pottery, jewellery, paintings, weavings, metalwork, and other trinkets made of local resources are examples of local handicrafts often found in tourist markets. These pieces are sold to tourists to memorialise or commemorate a visit or experience at a destination (Hume, 2014). While the handicraft sector forms cultural and social elements that contribute to the attractiveness, experience, and memory of a tourist destination (Ritchie & Zins, 1978), it also contributes to the economic engine of a local community (Benson, 2014; Grobar, 2019; Kazungu, 2020; Mahoney, 2012b; Thirumaran, Dam, & Thirumaran, 2014).
This chapter focuses specifically on the handicraft sector within LEDCs where some estimate that the sector employs over 10% of the labour force (Grobar, 2019). Portions, if not all, of a handicraft supply chain could be considered part of the informal economy (Wondirad, Bogale, & Li, 2021). The informal economy represents economic activity that operates without legal recognition, where businesses may or may not have official registrations or licenses, and enumeration for individuals is less formalised or guaranteed (e.g., unpaid family labour, self-employment; Çakmak & Çenesiz, 2020; Portes & Schauffler, 1993; Slocum, Backman, & Robinson, 2011). Work within the informal economy, including the handicraft sector, is accessible to large portions of the population because the sector does not require extensive capital investment, drawing from locally available raw materials (e.g., wood, rock, nuts, grasses) and traditional artisan skills passed down within communities (Timothy & Wall, 1997; Truong, 2018; Truong, Liu, & Pham, 2020). Importantly, the creating and selling of handicrafts that are sold in tourism markets can provide direct access to income-generating opportunities for lesser-educated, lesser-resourced, or marginalised individuals (e.g., Britton, 1982; Carlisle, 2010; Timothy & Wall, 1997). That is, the handicraft sector creates an avenue for direct economic benefits via an income that may sustain their livelihoods (Grobar, 2019; Harris, 2014; Kazungu, 2020; Richard, 2007).
This study adopts the notion of the experience economy proposed by Pine and Gilmore (1999) and the related concept of creative tourism (Richard & Raymond, 2000; Tan, Kung & Luh, 2013) in the context of the handicraft sector, considering the synergistic opportunities of coupling these ideas with a fair-trade philosophy. The experience economy considers experiences as a form of economic offering that creates a competitive advantage and memorable experiences for tourists. As a subset of this, creative tourism represents a type of tourism where participants actively co-create their experience (Tan et al., 2013). In this vein, this chapter considers the increasing authentic, co-created experiences as a way for the handicraft sector to increase revenue expenditures to local communities. Moreover, this chapter discusses the role of a fair-trade philosophy to guide creative tourism in the handicraft sector so that economic benefits to local communities are maximised through the intentionality of supply chain management.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Fair Trade: Is a business agreement that is designed to assist producers and artisans in developing countries in establishing long-term and equitable trade relationships with consumers in developed countries. The benefits associated with the fair trade business model include fair export prices, improved wages, and sustainable social and environmental standards.
Souvenirs: Tangible objects purchased or collected by travellers during or at the end of their trips and brought home as a remembrance of their trip. They represent the places, people and memories created during a trip.
Traditional Handicrafts: Objects artistically made using simple traditional tools and by using conventional manual methods (e.g., wooden carvings, weaving, painting, printing textiles, metal works, leather works and the likes).
Authenticity: The phenomenon of objects, activities, performances, emotions and experiences being genuine, unique, and with the reality of the culture they represent. It reflects the identity of a destination’s culture.