The pandemic travel bans devastated the tourism sector of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and cut off the livelihoods of micro-producers of traditional Palestinian handicrafts. The old city streets of Bethlehem and East Jerusalem, typically a thriving market for artisanal goods, are yet to see a full return of international tourists and pilgrims. But with Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society’s (HLHCS) export marketing strategy, handicraft producers are finding alternative means of reaching international buyers through exporting.

The HLHCS is a women-led cooperative of 35 members which markets the handicraft products of 130 artisans from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. With support from USAID through the Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) Project, HLHCS has invested in a diversified marketing strategy, more resilient to fluctuations in the tourism sector. 

SMART is helping HLHCS to strengthen their export program so they can reconnect with buyers around the world. HLHCS has undergone a total transformation: rebranding marketing material and redesigning a digital catalogue of traditional products. SMART also supported their participation in a series of tradeshows and exhibitions in the US and Europe. In July of 2022, HLHCS attended their first international trade exhibition since before the pandemic, the Catholic Marketing Network Tradeshow in Chicago, which provided an opportunity to make connections with wholesalers and retailers in the US market. In August, HLHCS participated in a four-day World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) Summit in Berlin, to connect in-person with fair trade importers. This was the first time HLHCS was able to attend a Fair-Trade Summit with professional preparations—full product line exhibition, branded materials, catalogues, and free samples. They made introductions with interested organizations and reconnected with pre-existing buyers. These included fair trade importers from Australia, Germany, Italy, USA, and UK.

Following the Summit, representatives from El Puente, a German company, traveled to Bethlehem to meet with HLHCS and tour the producers’ workshops. By demonstrating the quality of the products, validating the ethical supply chain, and creating a tangible and a sustainable connection from the producers to the importers, HLHCS strengthened their market connections to boost export sales.

SMART support is expected to yield substantial economic progress for the women-led cooperative who support people with disability livelihoods organizations to produce items appropriate for all abilities, e.g. wood and wool products.