Evolving Host Socio-Demographical Determinants Towards Himalayan Handicraft Industry (original) (raw)

Promoting Employment and Preserving Cultural Heritage: A Study of Handicraft Products Tourism in Pokhara, Nepal

Journal of Tourism & Adventure

Handicraft s form a fundamental part of tourist experience representing local traditions and indigenous population’s talents and skills, income and job opportunities. This paper aims at exploring the role of handicraft products in promoting employment as well as preserving the cultural heritage of Pokhara. The study result reveals that there is a significant level of correlation and dependency between handicraft products and tourist’s arrival, job creation and the increase in income and social status of artisans and handicrafts shopkeepers. As a unique experience for tourists, handicraft products have enriched national economy, identity and promoted cultural heritage, uniqueness and authenticity, and cultural commercialization. However, handicraft is notjust about commercialization of cultural arts or displaying and selling products, it is about allowing tourists to truly understand the skill and the craft at rear and realize handicraft s unique tradition, linking tourists to artisa...

Barriers to local community participation in tourism development: Evidence from mountainous state Uttarakhand, India

Tourism: An international Interdisciplinary Journal, 2018

Local community involvement, particularly in emerging and remote tourism destinations, is justifi ed to accomplish sustainable tourism development eff orts. Despite the benefi ts that tourism development off er, participation of community in geographically disadvantaged mountainous destinations is accompanied with many challenges. Th is qualitative investigation has understood and given voice to local residents of two emerging destinations of Uttarakhand, India. Data were gathered through interviews and were thematically examined. Findings reveal four key barriers that aff ect community participation in tourism development: practical, socio-cultural, apprehension and institutional. Th e study emphasizes the need for both greater advocacy of community participation, better synchronization among concerned government authorities, education and training for locals, and the need to design particular strategies which can encourage local participation that are customized to emerging destin...

An investigation of tourists' awareness of Handicraft of Himachal Pradesh & their buying behavior from Demographic Characteristics

isara solutions, 2022

Himachal Pradesh, the state surrounded by the mountainous and ranked third in Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), is popular for its natural beauty, landscapes, culture, people and heritage. The customs, traditions, art, crafts and artifacts exhibits the rich cultural and heritage diversity and showcase all to the world. Handicraft is a subset of culture and represents local customs, old traditions and ethnic groups, an authentic souvenir and also an emotion-laden product for tourist experience. This paper reveals the tourist awareness about local handicrafts and basic attributes specifying the motivators and pull factors responsible for tourist buying behavior involved in handicraft tourism in Himachal Pradesh. The study comprises a regional survey of 289 population of tourists and was done in the months of December (2020) and January (2021) using a structured questionnaire. The various factors/dimensions considered for the study are Product utility, Indigenity & Eco-friendliness, Product Attributes, USP/Product Uniqueness and Antiqueness. Since, the buying behaviour of tourists and souvenir purchase are influenced by these dimensions, theresult of the study concludes that the arts, crafts and handicrafts of Himachal Pradesh have an inducing impact on tourists and visitors.

DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN RURAL TOURISM IN DARJEELING DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Rural tourism has gained global popularity, with varying characteristics across regions. This study explores the demographic, economic, and psychological factors influencing women's participation in rural tourism in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Despite its proximity to Sikkim, Darjeeling remains under-researched, particularly regarding women's motivations. Data from 200 women, including 50 in the hospitality sector, were collected via a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire to understand the push factors for their involvement. The analysis shows that middle-aged, married women with secondary or less education dominate the rural tourism workforce. Their primary motivations are economic need, improved educational opportunities for their children, and escaping socioeconomic challenges. Significant economic drivers include contributing to family businesses and achieving financial independence. Psychological factors, such as improving living conditions and securing future stability, also play a crucial role, though aspirations for leadership and decision-making are less prominent due to cultural norms. The findings highlight rural tourism's critical role in providing employment and empowerment opportunities for women in Darjeeling. Enhancing participation and empowerment requires addressing economic and psychological needs, improving income levels, supporting leadership roles, and fostering greater family decision-making power. These efforts can strengthen women's involvement in rural tourism, boosting their socioeconomic development and quality of life.

A Community Response to Tourism, Focusing on the Home-stay Program in K Village in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

Journal of Urban and Regional Studies on Contemporary India, 2018

The tourism industry in India has grown enormously and is becoming a major source of economic growth in India. is paper focuses on studying the possibilities of home-stay programs and the willingness of the residents in Uttarakhand on such programs. Considering the tourism perspective of India, home-stay programs are rather unusual. Only Munsiyari and Sarmoli in the Johar Valley, and the Ladakh Autonomous Region in Jammu and Kashmir are the two examples. is research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches through household survey, an average treatment e ect, community economic development analysis, eld observations, interpretative analysis, and ethnographic understanding of K village, Nainital District, Uttarakhand. e results show that the tourism industry has not brought economic bene ts for the households involved in the industry; however, this could be owing to the community not being involved in tourism development. In addition, most of the villagers considered that the home-stay program could create opportunities for jobs and improve the income of the local community. In the study area, we found private entrepreneurship, but the home-stay program has not yet been developed. is research paper expects to assist making decisions to initiate an extensive home-stay program under the “Endogenous Tourism” program with some re-evaluations of not only the previously mentioned village of Uttarakhand, but also other remote locations in India, considering the colorful and cultural-rituals of rural living in India.

Tourism as an Engine of Rural Development in India – a Case Study of Sualkuchi Silk Village, Assam

2014

Tourism in India, though yet to achieve its full potential, has made rapid strides in recent years. The 10th Five Year Plan of India has also identified tourism as one of the major sources for generating employment and promoting sustainable livelihood. Tourism can therefore, prove to be a viable option towards rural growth and development by giving an opportunity to the tourists to explore the unexplored parts of Rural India. In the past ten years, with changes brought in by globalization, liberalization and economic reforms, handloom sector has been facing adverse government policies and discriminatory competition. The resultant burden is the most on the weavers. Such is the case of Sualkuchi, the famous "silk town" of Assam, which is famous for its sarees and mekhala chadars woven from mulberry, tassar and muga silks and has occupied a unique place in the cultural history of Assam since time immemorial. Hence, the present paper attempts to address the problems and needs of this 'vulnerable section' of handloom sector in the present times and suggests Tourism, particularly, Community Based Tourism as an alternative for sustainable growth and development of this part of Rural India. It is based on empirical view substantiated by both primary and secondary data obtained through field visits, project reports and government documents etc. from institutions like the Department of Handloom & Textile, Directorate of Sericulture (Govt. of Assam) and Central Silk Board etc. The study reveals that Community Based Tourism initiatives in Sualkuchi can play a vital role towards local participatory governance and selfreliance. Besides, it can also provide networking and marketing support to village committee for marketing of the tourist site and village produce, as a sustainable livelihood strategy for the weavers to overcome the crises in this sector.

Impact of Rural Tourism Product on The Socio-Economic Condition of Artisans In Birbhum District: A Case Study on Kantha Stitch Handicraft.

Research Directions, 2019

Handicrafts as rural tourism product have great potentiality to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of rural areas. Rural indigenous products were earlier used for daily household usage and till now it has retained its importance, especially in the countryside which now has got platform to market itself as a competitive product in the global market leading to development of the rural people. This paper is highlighting the impacts of this handicraft on the socioeconomic conditions of artisans in selected parts (Nanoor-Labpur-Panrui-Illambazar) of Birbhum district, analyse the issues and challenges involved in promoting this handicrafts and also emphasize on how tourism promotion in Birbhum can be made through this valuable resources. The researchers have also tried to find out the answer to the research question,-In spite of having potentiality of this handicraft, whether the artisans are being manipulated by the intermediaries or not?‖ The study is conducted on artisans' in-depth interview consisting of 100 respondents from 40 households which mainly comprises of craftswomen. Certain structured questionnaires with open and close end questions were used along with relevant secondary data for this study. The integral part of the finding embodies the fact that artisans are unaware about the market potentials thereby manipulated by the intermediaries, resorting to primitive methods without using advanced technology leads to slow production and lack of financial as well as skilled training assistance hinders the all-round development of the rural artisans. The recommendations as far the research is concerned is the upliftment of the current socioeconomic position of the artisans through exhibition and marketing schemes, development of crafts circuits, design and technical development as well as convenience of the artisans to cooperate with the Government emporiums and outlets. Key Words: Rural Tourism, Kantha Stitch Handicraft, Socio-Economic Impact, Birbhum District

An Empirical Study of Impact of Demographic Variables on Consumer Preference towards Tribal Handicraft – A Case of Rayagada District during Chaiti Festival

2016

India has the largest concentration of tribal population in the world and their lifestyle is very close to the nature. Likewise in Odisha, especially KBK (Undivided Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi) district has got unique identity for its tribal population and lifestyle. They are very sensitive to their typical culture and less prone to change. But the tribal of these areas posses specialized skills in the form of handicraft, which pass from one generation to another and is a source of their livelihood. Handicrafts are mostly defined as "Items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools, and are generally artistic and/or traditional in nature. They are also objects of utility and objects of decoration.” Moreover through these handicrafts, the tribal artesian can empower themselves because these products get huge response from the urban consumers, hence it becomes a source for their income earning.

A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF RURAL TOURISM ON WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IN WEST BENGAL'S HIMALAYAN REGION

Journal of Research Administration, 2023

Rural tourism has emerged as an essential driver of socioeconomic growth in the Himalayan region of West Bengal, India. This study aims to analyse the impacts of rural tourism on the empowerment of local women in this region. Empowerment is how women gain greater control over resources and decisions that affect their lives. The study utilises a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with women from ten rural tourism villages across three districts of the region. The findings reveal that engagement with rural tourism has contributed to women's economic, socio-cultural, familial, and psychological empowerment, but some challenges remain. Economically, tourism provides new income generation and livelihood opportunities for women. Socio-culturally, it leads to greater mobility, wider social networks, and changes in gender role perceptions for women. Within households, women gain greater bargaining power and involvement in decision-making. Psychologically, women demonstrate higher self-confidence, self-efficacy and willingness to take risks due to tourism. However, several factors continue to constrain women's empowerment like lack of access to resources, traditional gender norms, limited participation in tourism management, and seasonality of tourism. The study recommends policy actions and tourism development approaches to enhance women's empowerment through regional rural tourism. It contributes empirical insights on how tourism transforms gender relations in rural mountain contexts.

Assessing indigenous community’s perspectives and attitudes toward tourism development impacts in the northwestern Himalayas, India

Socio-Ecological Practice Research

An assessment and monitoring of tourism impacts coupled with community perception have emerged as a vital tool for ensuring the sustainability of mountain tourism destinations in recent years. The present study aims to explore the indigenous community's perspectives on tourism impacts and their participation in the process of tourism development at Doodhpathri, an emerging tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir, India. A non-probability convenience sampling method based on 344 questionnaires has been used to accomplish the research objectives. Inferential statistics and factor analysis were employed to analyze the collected data. Our assessment reveals that in general, tourism is viewed as a development industry. Its positives are better perceived than its negatives, given that it generates employment prospects, boosts household income, improves the image of the area, and raises the indigenous community's standard of living. However, a substantial portion of the population living in the area perceives tourism activities as the cause of multiple environmental and biophysical issues, such as increased waste generation leading to pollution and water quality deterioration. On the whole, most of the residents were positive about future tourism development and optimistic about tourism management practices. However, the area has recently observed a voluminous influx of both local and foreign tourists, which necessitates the formulation of a sustainable tourism planning strategy.