Peru invests over one million dollars to promote and reactivate handicrafts

13-03-24

The Peruvian government has launched an ambitious initiative to revitalize and promote the handicrafts sector, called 'Somos Artesanía 2024' (We are Handicrafts 2024). This strategy, recently unveiled in the official newspaper El Peruano through a ministerial resolution, has been designed to recognize and enhance handicrafts as a vital component of Peruvian tourism and culture. In an unprecedented move, a fund of more than 5.17 million soles (approximately US$1.3 million) has been allocated to finance grants for artisans who stand out in a public competition organized as part of this strategy.

The regulation is based on Article 24 of the Law on Artisans and the Development of Artisan Activity, reaffirming the State's commitment to crafts as an essential tourism resource, which can be integrated into all of the country's tourism products. The objective for fiscal year 2024 is for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism to use these funds to support not only the production and promotion of Peruvian handicrafts, but also their commercialization and the integration of these activities into the country's priority tourism circuits.

This multidimensional approach seeks not only to strengthen artisan workshops and promote the connection between these and tourist destinations, but also to improve productivity and competitiveness of the artisan sector, and develop creative experiences that foster interaction between artisans, visitors and Peru's cultural and natural environment. Grants will be available to individual and legal economic units that are part of this strategy, thus guaranteeing comprehensive support.

The relevance of this initiative is underscored by the recent report by the Association of Exporters (Adex), which highlights a significant increase in demand for Peruvian handicrafts in international markets such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland in 2023, despite an overall decrease of 15.9% in handicraft exports compared to the previous year, mainly attributed to a reduction in demand from the United States. This growing interest in Peruvian handicrafts abroad highlights the importance and potential of 'Somos Artesanía 2024' as a key strategy for strengthening and expanding the handicraft sector in Peru.