Practices and challenges of developing handicrafts as a core tourism product in Chencha and Konso, southern Ethiopia

The handicraft sector represents small-scale industries that produce various valuable objects primarily to supply to the travel and tourism sector. Therefore, as an integral part of the informal economy, handicrafts generate income, create employment opportunities, and thereby tackle poverty. The current study investigates the practices and challenges of the handicraft business in Chencha and Konso districts of southern Ethiopia. The study adopts a qualitative research approach with an exploratory design and collects data from 60 purposively and conveniently recruited participants. We utilized a longitudinal data set that has been collected between June 2019 and February 2021. Research findings reveal that despite communities in Chencha and Konso have been practicing handicraft production for a long, still, they rely on primitive production, marketing, and distribution strategies. Research findings also highlight that handicraft stakeholders fail to adequately support and empower artisans. This research identifies pressing challenges that limit the connection between the handicraft and tourism sectors and impede the development of the handicraft sector. Eventually, the study highlights policy implications to alleviate the challenges that constrain the successful development of handicraft tourism along with its limitations and future research directions.