Exploring the purchase experience of assam silk as a memento among the tourists to strengthen the bond between visitors and native people

Abstract

Assam Tourism has a potential to provide a unique experience to tourists in addition to the known pilgrimage and forest resort to explore distinctive culture of the native people. Visitors purchase mementos like tea, bamboo crafts and they are always attracted towards silk products of Assam. Plenty reported researches are available on general retail management but it is generally found that very less focus has been on how the tourists perceive the exterior environment and what their responses to shopping locations are. In spite of excellent quality of Assam silk products, due to poor service design, purchase experience is not up to the mark. Based on a survey of tourist response to the service design and showrooms located in the Panbazar area of Guwahati owned by local silk weavers’ societies, an idea of developing a ‘Silk Promotion Hub’ where tourists may spend some time to get experience of silk rearing, various handloom activities and appreciate/purchase the fine quality silk products have been conceived. Entire collected information from questioner, interview and videography was studied thoroughly and a brainstorm session was conducted with a small expert group containing 4 designers/design academicians, to identify the key considerations for the proposed park. Following brainstorming and discussions, some two-dimensional (2D) schematic diagrams were conceptualized for the ‘Silk Promotion Hub’. It is expected that the intended design layout of the silk promotion hub/park would be beneficial for hassle free informative purchase experience of the tourist. Most of the tourist might be tempted to buy the product. Moreover, informative experience and memory of the park would influence them deeply. This in turn would help in strengthening the bond between visitors and native people for a harmonious relation.