CHENNAI: The heady fragrance of incense sticks, the sight of trinkets twinkling behind glass shelves, the softness of Kashmiri shawls and rugs, and the warm smile of the shopkeeper behind the counter. Entering souvenir shops in hotels transports one to a world where culture and tradition mix with memory and nostalgia in a confined space.
Although many luxury hotels have done away with their souvenir stores or have refurbished them to be in sync with the changing times, some hotels have managed to maintain their old-world charm. Tourism data may show that the business in India is booming, but the shop owners have a different story to tell. Located within some of city’s most well-known hotels, these owners spoke candidly about the dwindling number of visitors over the years.
Time and tourism
Syed Mustaq has been manning the Kashmiri Emporium store in Savera Hotel since 1978. From his cosy store in the hotel basement, he has seen the tourism industry weather every low.
“When I started, Thousand Lights had only three shops and there was only one other shop on Mount Road for handicrafts. Other hotels had small gift shops, but Taj Connemara and Savera Hotel were the only big hotels back then. Chola Sheraton, Park Sheraton and Taj Coromandel came after that. The only other place to shop was T Nagar, but that was more for jewellery and clothes rather than for handicrafts. It ensured smooth business,”he said.From 1978 to 2019, a lot has changed. One of the foremost things being the abundance of choice available at standalone stores and malls.
“The products I have can be found in any other handicraft store too, barring a few rare pieces. Add to that, for the huge range of choice I have to rely heavily on foreign tourists for my sales. They are a few who appreciate these handicrafts. The peak season for foreign tourists used to be between October to April, but now with the economies slowing down all over the world, the peak season is only from October to December. With the season approaching, I am hoping to do good business,” he said.
Down the road, another decades-old shop stands — the New Kashmir Arts and Crafts in Welcomhotel Chennai. However, with the mushrooming of new hotels and endless options including guesthouses and AirBnBs in the city, the traveller has multiple options to choose from in different price brackets, leaving the 35-year-old store empty.
“Earlier, there weren’t so many hotels in the city and this was among the foremost choice for travellers,” said S Santharam, manager of New Kashmir Emporium at Welcomhotel, formerly known as Chola Sheraton. “I have been managing the store for the last 10 years, and the demand has come down significantly. Many companies used to block many rooms for employees earlier. At that time, we used to have about five visitors per day, and on some days even 10! These days it is getting hard to lure even two customers a week. And this too, doesn’t guarantee business.”
Unique trinkets
However, there is no denying the charm that a souvenir shop adds to a hotel, and hotels recognise this and retain the stores due to this. Le Royal Méridien has a spacious and delightful souvenir store — Jans Arcade — that has a variety of artifacts to choose from, be it pashmina shawls, leather bags, books, handmade carpets, bronze statues, marble coasters, intricate jewellery boxes, and even a small store that sells imported chocolate and candy.
“Our store has been in existence since 2000. While new hotels and stores are affecting business, the store as such is a great value-add to the hotel,” said S Paul Athisayaraj, director of Food and Beverage at the hotel. “It is unique as it has products sourced directly from village artisans and cannot be found in other stores. For instance, we have cups, saucers, bird nests and so on made out of coconut shells. We also have bags made out of molasses. All this is in addition to the regular Kashmiri handicrafts and textiles and beautiful crafts from across the country.”
The New Kashmir Emporium boasts of a wide range of handmade carpets, pashmina shawls, handicrafts, wall hangings and exquisite silver jewellery. A traveller can find quality keepsakes from Rs 200. While most of these hotels are bustling with customers and business is brisk, the number is dwindling for the in-house gifts shops. Perhaps this is just another phase before discerning customers make a beeline to take back a piece of nostalgia that comes with a priceless experience of the city and its offerings. Only time will tell.
At Kashmiri Emporium
Among some of the rare pieces housed at the Kashmiri Emporium are beautiful healing bowls for sound healing, priced at Rs 2,500 onwards. Syed also recommends a seven-chakra healing quartz piece priced at Rs 3,000 that is meant to be held while chanting Om. A striking and unique product in his store are the Dharma Patha masks from Ladakh that cost Rs 4,500.