Sustainable tourism development and handicrafts in the developing world

Abstract

Since World War II, mass tourism has been one of the key industries promoted by governments all over the world. In modern times, many developments such as economic globalization have given sustainable tourism a sizeable push forward. Although tourism currently plays a relatively small role in the economy of some developing countries such as Iran, it is projected today as an engine of economic growth and an instrument for eliminating poverty, curbing unemployment problems, opening up new fields of activity, and enhancing the quality of life particularly among the most vulnerable sectors of society. New opportunities are being tapped to extend cultural, adventurous, rural, health, and medical tourism. With the number of foreign tourists on the rise and also domestic tourism gaining popularity, public and private sector bodies are actively involved in promoting tourism in almost all developing states. Furthermore, the international and regional dimensions of tourism are also receiving due recognition and, accordingly, tourism has been instrumental in softening the relations among nations towards peace. Seeking primarily an economic and sociological analysis of indigenous handicrafts while not overlooking these products in terms of their artistic and anthropological value, this paper will uncover the complexity involved in the promotion of cultural assets of the tourism industry. It aims to explore new strategies that would protect the sustainability of people's livelihoods, identity, and also increase knowledge for encouraging, supporting, and developing tourism and crafts promotion. The specific objectives of this paper include identifying the handicrafts that affect the sustainable development of respective tourism industries, evaluating the sufficiency of handicrafts in attaining sustainable tourism development; and suggesting ways of improving handicrafts to guarantee further sustainable development of tourism. © 2007 WIT Press.