Lucknow: In UP’s handloom villages, the tourist is slowly emerging as an important customer alongside the traditional trader, with tourism-linked interventions helping participating women artisans record nearly 40% growth in average income.The shift is part of the state’s effort to bring rural crafts into the tourism experience. Under the Agri Rural and Ganga Gram Rural Tourism Project, visitors are being taken closer to weaving communities through live demonstrations, artisan interactions, village visits and opportunities to buy directly from makers.The initiative covers handloom villages including Kasba Khanpur in Auraiya, Hirampur in Varanasi, Kalinjar, Kanwara and Mirtala in Banda, Rasin in Chitrakoot, Parsia, Gobraula and Bankati in Lakhimpur Kheri, and Badagaon in Baghpat. The villages produce Banarasi and cotton sarees, carpets, gamchas, stoles, dupattas, dress materials, furnishings and daris.The strategy is being driven by growing tourist movement. Across five districts housing identified handloom villages — Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Banda, Auraiya and Baghpat — tourist footfall rose by nearly 36% between May and Jul 2025. Auraiya recorded the sharpest increase at nearly 90%, followed by Banda at around 49%, Varanasi 36%, Chitrakoot 30% and Baghpat over 10%.The tourism department is now seeking to channel a share of this footfall into nearby villages, turning existing destination itineraries into potential markets for local artisans.“By taking tourists to the loom, we are creating income, recognition and opportunity for women artisans,” tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said.Additional chief secretary, tourism, culture and religious affairs, Amrit Abhijat said the model could allow established destinations to support surrounding rural economies. Visitors to Varanasi, for instance, could be introduced to weaving experiences in Hirampur, while Rasin could complement Chitrakoot’s spiritual and heritage itinerary.Women account for over 70% of weaving activity in some key rural tourism clusters, with self-help groups providing an important platform for production and enterprise. Training in product quality, design, customer interaction, market-oriented production and business development is also being provided.In Lakhimpur Kheri, Nari Shakti Puraskar awardee Arti Rana has helped connect Tharu crafts with visitors travelling through the Dudhwa region. “The project will help us showcase our talent to everyone,” she said.
