The Role and Importance of Traditional Handicrafts in Sustainable Tourism: A Research in Hatay

Abstract

Traditional Turkish handicrafts, which takes its source from the deep-rooted history of Anatolia for thousands of years, is now considered within the scope of tourism as an important cultural heritage factor. It is possible to reveal the forgotten ones among the traditional handicrafts, which are seen as a reflective tool of the cultural personality of the societies, and to preserve the surviving ones and transfer them to the next generations through sustainable tourism. From this point of view, the aim of the study is to examine the current situation of traditional handicraft products under sustainable tourism and to reveal the traditional handicrafts that come into prominence in Hatay but not included in the "Turkish National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage". Qualitative research method was used in the study, and the data were obtained as a result of structured interviews with 15 participants. According to the findings of the study, fourteen (14) different traditional handicrafts that were not included in the inventory list of Hatay were identified. It is recommended to protect the identified traditional handicrafts by including them in the Turkish National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.