The curse of the gift emporium

“No more!” we said, after being driven to yet another craft emporium. By the fifth such calling point of our second day in Agra, we had lost the will to even get out of the car, and were torn between offending our guide and telling him to leave us to our own devices and going along for politeness and the free tea, yet with no interest in buying.

In many parts of the world, these gift stores have been set up, usually wholly or partly government owned, to cater for the organised tourist market. Coaches, minibuses and those like us who have hired a local guide get taken to these places to see the handywork of local craftspeople and spend hard currency there. The trip to India was the final straw, and since then we have either shied away from getting a driver through a local agent, or made it clear from the outset – absolutely NO visits to emporia.

From an interest point of view, I am comfortable in missing whatever it is that goes on in these places. They are much of a muchness to me, wherever we go and however much they are touted as unique. I am not a hoarder of objects, and so will not feel the need to collect a gift from every place we go to (that said, we seem to have a house full of ‘stuff’ from our travels). These stores are set up to sell local products at western prices. “Cheaper than it would cost at home” they say. Maybe, although not always the case, and in any case we would never buy these gifts at home.

More to the point, I would much rather buy from the local market, maybe not to “tourist quality” but certainly more of an experience in shopping. Having seen the many kites flying over Jaipur (and having just read the Kite Runner!), I knew these would make a great present for my nephews back at home. So I asked our driver to stop to let me buy a couple – his instinct was to find a high quality shop where I could get a very smart one for 200 rupees plus. He found it difficult to fathom why I would want a pair of humble 2 rupee kites to take back to England. Yet the fun and debate we had back at home in working out how to string the kites, and the joy in getting them airborne, made these a wonderful gift.

Tourism is a major source of revenue for the communities through which we pass, and I agree with the need to support local enterprises. What I do object to is being taken to a parade of tourist shops when I have not expressed any wish to visit them. The guides of course are on a commission. (Tuk tuk drivers do the same and I can sympathise more with their motives). But when time is precious I want to spend the time seeing the best of the local area, rather than the inside of a shop.

I wonder too where our money is best directed – is it by buying from the entrepreneur in the street, selling products that might be sub-standard but where you know exactly where the money is going? Or from the organised outlets, where they are often promoted as community based projects yet the authorities are likely to get their hands in the pot? We have always favoured the street and market vendors, especially as the interaction before completing the purchase is often more memorable than the gift itself.

One of the benefits of travelling independently is that you set your own agenda, and never set foot in one of these vast usually characterless warehouses. That’s just my sentiment, and it’s a main factor in us being reluctant to travel even with a locally organised trip unless unavoidable. And let’s face it, the tourist gift needs are served on every street corner in almost every part of the world!