Fair Trade, Cultural Heritage and Ecotourism Innovative Initiatives to Increase Market Access and Promote Artisan Entrepreneurship through Ecotourism and Fair Trade Jennifer Marcy, Crafts Center Manager CHF International is a catalyst for long-lasting positive change in poor communities around the world. CHF programs focus on everything from economic development to emergency response and transition, and a range of cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS, peace and stability and community-led development. Our economic development programs are creating jobs, rejuvenating key economic infrastructure, enhancing the efficacy and access to capital of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), creating linkages along the value chain, and helping regional economic development efforts to flourish. The Crafts Center at CHF International contributes to CHF’s overall economic development initiatives through field programs and the coordination of an international network dedicated to supporting low-income artisans. This paper will outline two selected tourism-based case studies of economic development programs being implemented by CHF International in Eastern Europe. The first case study analyzes a five-year program that is coming to a close, which focused on building the capacity of the Romanian tourism industry to compete on an international level in the eco-and cultural tourism sectors. The second case study looks at a relatively new program in Northern Montenegro that is integrating the advocacy arm of a non-profit organization with a for-profit travel agency partner with the aim of providing high-quality services to eco-tourism adventurers. Before looking at the two case studies, we first need to outline why tourism plays an important role in poverty reduction and access to markets for MSMEs, especially artisan entrepreneurs. When linking artisan businesses with the tourism sector, you are supporting local business, family business and home based enterprises, as well as providing economic opportunity for women. Developing tourism-focused artisan enterprises also diversifies the job market and can be an ‘add on’ to other job creation projects within the tourism sector which, in turn, provides a chance for income generation in rural areas where there often are few jobs. The tourist niche-market is a viable market because tourists seek an authentic experience when traveling abroad and a high-quality piece of craft offers a post experience for the traveler. They are able to take the piece of art back home with them, which represent the cultures, foods, and sights that they have experienced on their trip. Souvenirs are the tangible part of an intangible experience. By linking artisans with the tourism sector, CHF creates value chain that connects informal activities with the formal sector, helping to increase the livelihoods of all of the actors that take part in these activities.
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Case Study 1: Increasing Competitiveness in the Romanian Tourism Sector: For the past 14 years, CHF has been working in Romania to increase competitiveness in the tourism and IT sectors, expand MSME advocacy capacity and the supportive legal environment, and help underserved MSMEs throughout the country secure access to finance through a robust micro-lending program. CHF has embraced the challenges of increasing the competitiveness of Romania’s tourism industry, and has utilized a methodology focused on building public and private sector capacity to reap the economic benefits of the country’s rich natural, historical and cultural heritage. With the cooperation of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CHF International/Romania is managing a five-year $13.3 million program that is specifically working toward the strengthening and development of Romanian micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses. With the predicted growth of the Romanian tourism industry, there is the potential to significantly increase jobs and prosperity, particularly in the poorer rural areas and within the MSME environment. In 2004, CHF’s Enterprise Development & Strengthening (EDS) program began a tourism pilot project in Maramures, which was designed to increase the competitiveness of the tourism sector. The pilot project provided technical assistance to owners of guest accommodations and to local artisans, helped market the city of Maramures to foreign tourists, and provided increased access to credit for tourism-related businesses. As a result of the pilot project in Maramures and comprehensive assessment work that followed, the EDS program developed a three year tourism competitiveness strategy (2005-2008), which included an expansion of activities to the counties of Sibiu, Mures and Suceava. Through working with public sector organizations, private sector associations, and individual enterprises, among other stakeholders, the objectives of the tourism project are to: • Reposition the industry to attract to these areas a greater number of higher value tourists with value-added goods and services • Improve the quality of products and services to meet niche market demand • Encourage innovations by improving access to finance
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Reduce costly barriers through private and public-led reforms Conduct market research through a national visitor survey, regional visitor surveys, the establishment of a database of overseas and national tour operators & travel agencies offering tours to Romania and its regions, an analysis of international guidebook coverage, and asset mapping of attractions and businesses in the target regions. Stimulate product development by developing integrated tourism offerings involving attractions, lodging, tourism services, etc. in the project regions; providing assistance to guesthouses; assisting with the production of guidebooks (Local Legends in Sibiu, Maramures Wooden Churches); offering training on handicraft authenticity; and providing museum support and information services Facilitate promotion of the area and its attractions through national and regional website improvements, online event/festival promotion, press releases, competitions, and publication support Provide capacity building through European Union (EU) awareness, association development, national and regional tourism strategy support, development of communications guidelines, access to funding, and branding
CHF/Romania is currently operating in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu and is undertaking a number of projects that link the tourism sector to the crafts sector. With its cobblestone streets and distinctive Saxon-style houses, Sibiu is an open-air museum. Steeped in history, it offers visitors a wealth of cultural sites, including medieval fortress towers and fifteen majestic churches. It is only fitting, then, that the EU has chosen it -- together with Luxembourg -- as the 32nd European Cultural Capital. It gained this status at the start of 2007, the same year Romania joined the EU. The municipality has undertaken an ambitious program of renovation, together with preparing events that will promote cultural cooperation and understanding across the continent. CHF/Romania is actively assisting stakeholders in Sibiu and in the surrounding areas to improve their product offering which will help individuals, foundations, museums, and retailers capitalize on the influx of tourists to the region. These projects include: • Museum Roundtable: “Improving your Visitor Experience.” This project was an organized discussion and presentation of ways and methods to improve the visitor experience through marketing, partnerships, and product diversification. Museums from Sibiu, Maramures, and Bucovina counties attended the discussion. • Handicraft Authenticity Project: This projects aims to create a label for artisan products that can be used to leverage sales of these products primarily to tourists, but also to the international market.
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Assistance to Museums and gift shops. This project is aimed at improving the gift shop experience for tourists at major museums in Sibiu County. “The Traditional Crafts Road” (TCR). The TCR is a driving tour/circuit in the Marginimea Sibiului region of the county developed jointly by CHF International and the ASTRA Museum Foundation that allows tourists to visit artisans in their homes and observe them at work while enjoying the countryside.
Traditional Crafts Road Brochure:
Handicraft Authenticity Project: In Romania, centuries-old traditions and customs still practiced today represent a living heritage that bonds the past, present and future. The creation of authentic handmade crafts continues to thrive in Romania and artisans are making products in the same manner as their ancestors did generations ago. The authenticity of handmade crafts is considered to be endangered by rapid modernization taking place in Romania and the influx of mass-produced replicas from China and India. Foreign visitors now have a difficult time identifying between authentically handmade Romanian crafts and those that are made in a factory in China. This has had a negative impact on the handicrafts sector in Romania and is taking away profits from artisans around the country, especially in major tourist sites.
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CHF/Romania responded to this dilemma facing artisan entrepreneurs by inviting the country’s leading cultural specialists, artisans, and industry leaders to an open discussion on the opportunity to promote a national certification system for handmade traditional crafts. Representatives of major cultural institutions with large networks of artisan beneficiaries came together to decide on the criteria, the steward of the trademark, and the future administrator of the certification system (which was granted to The National Centre for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture). The group decided to first identify and trademark the products of a narrow niche of artisans in Romania that are still creating crafts exactly as they have been made for generations. In the next phase of the authenticity project, the administrators will expand the criteria to include all artisans who are using a variety of materials and creating new designs and motifs that represent Romania’s evolving cultural heritage; these producers will label their products, Made in Romania. Main Criteria for Handicraft Certification: made of traditional raw materials made with traditional techniques made with traditional tools respect traditional shapes, dimensions, and design respect traditional motifs and decoration respect traditional natural dyes
Case Study 2: Linking Non-Profit Advocacy to the For-Profit Tourism Industry in Montenegro The Centre for Sustainable Tourism Initiatives (CSTI) was created by CHF International to work on the development of tourism products in northern Montenegro, engaging the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. By doing so, CSTI aims to economically regenerate the region, reduce poverty, and attract investments. CSTI is an active partner of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Tourism Organization, and the USAID funded Regional Competitiveness Initiative, and is a regular contributor to the Donor Coordination Group, which brings together international donors in the tourism sector to coordinate activities.
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The CSTI was created based on the vision that the tourism industry generates prosperity and peace for Montenegro’s citizens while preserving the wild beauty of its environment. The centre is the driving force for the development of the tourism products of northern Montenegro. By following the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism, it strives to economically regenerate the region, reduce poverty and attract investments. The centre provides active community leadership by supporting and coordinating local, regional and cross-border tourism development programs and works with a number of tourism stakeholders. The centre also shares and encourages the exchange of tourism know-how and fosters cooperation and collaboration amongst partners, which leads to innovative tourism initiatives that continually raise quality standards and improve the competitiveness of the industry. One such partnership was born soon after CSTI was established. The staff realized that a clear demand existed for a tourism agency to serve visitors to the northern region of Montenegro. As a result, Montenegro Adventures was created. This partnership offered an ideal opportunity for the experienced tourism professionals of CSTI to continue to develop the capacities of the nascent tourism industry in the north. Although CSTI and Montenegro Adventures work closely together, they are distinct organizations with unique missions. CSTI is an NGO focused on developing tourism products in northern Montenegro which embody the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. On the other hand, Montenegro Adventures is a for-profit tourism agency that books flights, accommodations and tours for visitors to Montenegro.
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It is important to stress that the founders of CSTI are a group of citizens from Montenegro. The main goals of the CSTI are to develop and implement projects that contribute to the development, quality and sustainability of Montenegrin tourism. As the tourism sector in the north continues to develop, CSTI and Montenegro Adventures each fill an important role. While CSTI looks to the future by contributing to Montenegro’s broader tourism strategy and capacity building of organizations throughout the sector, Montenegro Adventures stays on the cutting-edge of tourism, offering highquality products and services to the tourists of today.
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