To meet makers in distant lands: A global discussion

Garland magazine

Craft travel packages are booming. As well as companies offering specialist tours of craft centres, many practitioners are sharing their local knowledge and contacts with specialist travel packages.

Such tours can have many benefits. For the participants, they help deepen their appreciation of the crafts through the immersive experience of place. As has been the case with pilgrimages in the past, these exceptions from daily routine can give overall meaning to the shape of a life. For the hosts, these visits can be an important source of recognition and pride in their community. There’s also the material benefit of sales and sometimes fees for entertaining guests.

But there are also questions raised. What are the basic ethical principles that should be followed during craft travel? As we move into the “experience economy”, people seem to be buying less and valuing more what can be shared with family and friends. Should artisans expect to be paid for a visit or does this contradict the core value of hospitality?

Listen to our discussion, featuring:

• Julia Raath
• Swadha Sonu and Gopesh Singh from Kamalan Travel
• Fiona Wright from Pushkar, Rajasthan
• Sahr Bashir
• Layla Walter

This was recorded on Tuesday 29 October 2019.