(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to the Better Travel Bureau , where we dive into the business of making tourism more equitable, more inclusive and less harmful to the environment—who’s transforming the industry, what’s changing and is it actually possible?
Experiences are more precious than objects—it’s a belief many travelers hold.
But cultural encounters and craftsmanship are often inextricably linked, and the one-of-a-kind items we pick up on our trips keep us connected to a destination, a particular moment in time or a talented artisan whose story left an impression.
I make a point of bringing home at least one handmade item from every trip I take—to preserve the memory, yes, but also because I understand that every purchase plays a role, small yet vital, in keeping centuries of tradition alive and in supporting local entrepreneurs.
I’m reminded of this every winter, when I pull out a hand-spun cotton scarf I brought back from Ethiopia in 2020 and a black-and-white imigongo (geometric-patterned) jacket that a tailor delivered to my hotel in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023. My year-round favorite: a pair of drop flower earrings from an arts and crafts center in Nahuizalco, El Salvador, part of a governmental initiative to revive artisanal skills through tourism. And then there’s the beaded bracelet I got from the women’s social enterprise Sishemo in Livingstone, Zambia, where pieces are made from recycled bottles of Bombay Sapphire from a nearby luxury resort. The more people drink, the more glass beads and bracelets the women get to make and sell.
Here’s the good news: You no longer have to go on a bucket-list vacation to buy (or gift) these types of keepsakes. As online retail has soared in recent years—especially during the pandemic, when travel was largely shut down—savvy tour operators have figured out how to bring the world’s most rarefied artisan wares to our touchscreens.
Use this guide to shop the world’s farthest-flung corners this holiday season. You’ll juice up some travel inspiration for the year ahead—both for yourself and your lucky gift recipients—while supporting artisan communities in destinations around the globe.
Andean Knits and Jewels
Peru-based travel outfitter Aracari’s online shop started in 2021 with a goal of showcasing “Andean luxury,” in founder Marisol Mosquera’s words. By that, she means the highest-quality work of Peruvian designers and artisans from the across South American mountain region, including communities in Bolivia and Ecuador.
“We’re bringing artisans into the equation, giving them the place they deserve as business partners,” she says, noting that some of the highly skilled craftspeople she features have no web presence and only sell their wares in-person. Take Susan Wagner’s hand-crocheted totes ($330), normally sold in a small boutique in Lima; they’re made with fiber from the ceibo tree, a native tree in the dry forests of northern Peru, which is blended with organic cotton. Maison Motché, meanwhile, uses a pre-Columbian technique to thinly hammer and emboss recycled gold, turning it into earrings and cuff bracelets (from $115) that are normally found at a single shop in Bayonne, France, of all places.
If anyone in your life has a baby on the way (or newly arrived), head straight for Bombicis newborn apparel (from $202). Its delicately embellished sweaters and layette sets are made with finely hand-spun organic pima cotton and alpaca—a supersoft material for delicate skin.
Home Goods from the Silk Road
Since 2018, Ishkar has coordinated trips to countries that many travelers write off as being off-limits, such as Afghanistan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen. But the Kabul-based company’s roots began as an e-commerce platform for artisans in war-impacted destinations who are cut off from international markets.
“In places like Afghanistan, craft has become an important psychological and economic sanctuary for women, whose rights have been heavily curtailed since the Taliban takeover,” says Nada Debeaumont, commercial director at Ishkar, adding that rug weaving is one of the few jobs deemed acceptable for women in the country. The rugs (from $539) sold by Ishkar range from neutral colors to punchy reds, featuring zigzags and other geometric patterns.
Smaller and more easily giftable: sets of royal blue glass tumblers ($120), handblown in the city of Herat in western Afghanistan and colored with natural dyes that have been in use throughout the Silk Road for some 2,000 years. Also exquisite: the botanical embroidery on the linen Milaya Amina runner ($500), which can decorate your dinner table or be framed as wall decor in a hallway. It’s made by South Sudanese women who were displaced by the civil war and now live in Bidibidi refugee camp in Uganda.
African Haute Couture
Industrie Africa is like Net-a-Porter for African designers. It’s an online retail marketplace featuring 50 couturiers that represent the continent’s stylistic heritage and diversity. It was founded by Nisha Kanabar, who moved back to her native Tanzania after a career in publishing in New York, Mumbai and Dubai. “I wanted to advance African fashion on the global stage,” she says.
I’d be thrilled to unwrap this peplum-shaped Polar Dress ($475)—in an eye-catching black-and-white batik fabric—or a pair of thick-strapped, made-to-order sandals (from $145) by Loza Maléombho; the brand is inspired by its namesake designer’s childhood in Côte d’Ivoire, with some garments featuring miniature ceremonial masks, made by Ivorian artisans, as buttons and clasps. And who wouldn’t love this minimalist take on a snake necklace ($400) by Kenyan jeweler Ami Doshi Shah? Made of recycled brass and lava stone in Nairobi, it’s the rare piece you could pair with either a collared shirt or an evening gown.
A Global Assortment to Fill Out Your List
One-of-a-kind hyperlocal gifts … from corporate giant Marriott? It’s strange but true. R Finds is a new, commission-free digital marketplace for some 175 small businesses around the world. “It’s about bringing neighborhoods to life,” says Jennifer Connell, who led the effort as vice president and global brand leader of Premium Distinctive and Collection Brands at Marriott International Inc.
Use it as a place to find unique gift ideas for the trickiest person on your list. For the person who wants to cozy up in a cabin all winter, there’s the Bear Claws throw blanket ($245) from Seattle-based Eighth Generation. It’s designed by artist John Isaiah Pepion of the Piikani/Blackfeet Nation with an abstract, neutral-toned pattern made from sustainably milled Norwegian wool. And for your most artsy friend, there’s this “How to Paint a Cloud” kit ($92) from the much-loved Chicago-based art supply store Martha Mae, sure to produce far more sophisticated works than your average paint-by-numbers.
This softly pleated hemp Khmer Bag ($65), handwoven by the Hmong people in the northern highlands of Vietnam, might be my new gently priced go-to. Its moonlike shape, a reference to Khmer lunar rituals, is believed to bring prosperity—something we could all use as we welcome the new year.
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