Indigenous Handicrafts Based Domestic Tourism in Bangladesh

Abstract

While international tourism has received significant research attention in tourism studies, domestic tourism is argued to be a relatively less researched domain. Furthermore, the predominant humanistic focus (e.g. tourists, entrepreneurs, artisans) in the extant literature demands the inclusion of non-human actors too in understanding tourism realities. Henceforth, this chapter intends to explore the role of non-human actors – particularly indigenous handicrafts – in developing domestic tourism in two different indigenous contexts in Bangladesh. Actor Network Theory (ANT) was adopted as the theoretical lens for its novel ways of viewing the research phenomenon arguing that agency to 'act' resides equally with human and non-human actors followed by their relational materiality. In this regard, a qualitative case study approach with multiple modes of data collection was applied to gather empirical evidence. Regardless of the non-human status, findings reflect handicrafts as the central actor, highlighting their influence over different actors (human and non-human). Such capacity of indigenous handicrafts to influence is connected to their ethnic, economic, and place utilities that have been enabling them (handicrafts) to fulfil the diverse interests of different actors (e.g., communities, NGOs, government) developing the scope for domestic tourism. Overall, extending our understanding beyond the anthropocentric focus, this chapter contributes by highlighting how handicrafts can play a central role in developing indigenous-culture-based domestic tourism in Bangladesh.