hlights o - ircica

I submit that thesee prospects are many iff we consider, on the one o hand, recent trends withinthe tourism sectorand, on the other hand, the growing awareness of the socio-economicimpact of crafts on sustainable development and poverty eradication. Strangely enough, itappears that the current worldeconomic and financial crisis as well as thee global concern forthe environment are providingan added support to these trends. Thus, the Financial Times, inits issueof 14 March 2009, devoted ann extensive article “Crafted withh care” in praise ofartisan products from developing countries and of a “genuine blossoming of interest intraditional skills and materials”.Besides, there exist some interesting experiments worldwide inn crafts promotion forr touristsand in the collection of data to demonstrate the economic and social importance of crafts.These case studies can serve as useful references for other interested countries.Indeed, the defensee and promotion of the cultural and socio-economic dimension of crafts callfor continuous demonstrations with facts and figures. Tourism, with itss opportunities andchallenges represent an ideal platform forr sensitizingall stakeholders- local, regional, nationaland international; private andpublic- onn the need to support crafts c for the benefits of hugecommunities of artisans.24