Released on = October 10, 2006, 7:26 am

Press Release Author = Aid to Artisans

Industry = Non Profit

Press Release Summary = The International Forum on Rural Tourism in China shows
increasing interest of the UN's World Tourism Organization in handcrafts as an
economic factor not only a souvenir source. Aid to Artisans President, David
O'Connnor emphasizes the active role tourists can have in preservation of cultures.

Press Release Body = Hartford, CT, David O'Connor, President of Aid to Artisans has
recently returned from China, where he was a speaker at the International Forum on
Rural Tourism on September 4 - 6, 2006.
With modernization rapidly accelerating in China, provinces like Guizhou face the
threat of losing their cultural traditions. (O'Connor heard in one city that a man
dubbed by locals the \"8-Lane Mayor\" paved countless historic sites and buildings)
In addition, the rural communities of Guizhou have recently become a hot-spot for
thousands of Chinese city-dwellers who want a weekend getaway. Rural tourism is
commonly seen at odds with cultural preservation because of the influence tourists
can have over a population. Importing cheap souvenirs and selling off ancient
artifacts slowly pull communities away from old skills and disconnect them from
their traditions.
The huge influx has started to worry anthropologists and government officials about
preserving the thousands of years old traditions and priceless artifacts in the
area. The International Forum on Rural Tourism gathered recently to draw insight
from around the world on how to deal with this increasingly urgent issue.
David O'Connor, ATA President, was invited to the conference to speak about the role
of handcraft in cultural preservation. O'Connor is particularly interested in the
importance of tourism in boosting handcraft as an economic force and was the keynote
speaker at the World Tourism Organization's Conference on Tourism and Handicrafts
held in Tehran, Iran earlier this year. O'Connor stresses the link between the
tourism market and revival of handcraft, "Without a market, many traditional skills
could fade due to lack of demand. The patronage of tourists helps keep craft
traditions alive, in addition to creating jobs for rural communities."
The rural communities in Guizhou Province have been some of the most isolated and
least urbanized in all of China, which has allowed them to maintain the ancient
cultures of their many ethnic groups. Handcraft can be a key component of
sustaining these fragile cultures through their extraordinary talent and colorful
textile traditions. Developing products targeted for the tourist market with
traditional elements gives tourists a value and respect for the culture that they
can take with them. O'Connor held, "this is an investment in the culture made by
both tourist and community." By supporting these cultures through strategic
development of rural tourism, one can ensure that in the future they will be better
understood, respected and protected.
The forum in China is the second in a series of three global conferences on tourism.
It was sponsored by the People's Government of Guizhou Province, the China National
Tourism Administration, the UN World Tourism Organization, and the World Bank. The
final conference will focus on tourism and handcraft, to be held in November in
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Aid to Artisans, a nonprofit organization, offers practical market-based training
and assistance to artisan groups worldwide, working in partnerships to foster
artistic traditions, cultural vitality, improved livelihoods and community
well-being. Through collaboration in product development, business skills training
and development of new markets, ATA provides sustainable economic and social
benefits for artisans in an environmentally sensitive and culturally respectful
manner. ATA has worked in 110 countries since its founding in 1976.


Web Site = http://aidtoartisans.org/

Contact Details = CONTACT: Andrea Leiser, Director of Communications
T: (860)947-3429
C: (860) 712-6996
andrea_leiser@aidtoartisans.org

Aid to Artisans
331 Wethersfield Ave
Hartford, CT 06114