Banyan Tree Gallery – “Retailing With A Difference”

A Responsible Retailer of Local Craft & Art

Company Background
The Banyan Tree Group is an eco-minded manager and
developer of 25 resorts and hotels, 68 spas and 65 retail
galleries in the Asia Pacific. The Group has received
several awards in recognition of its commitment to
environmental protection and its emphasis on corporate
social responsibility. The efforts made in that field include,
among others:

• Eco resorts in Phuket, Bintan, in the

Maldives and the Seychelles, with their
comprehensive focus on environmental
issues in construction, as well as in every
aspect of the day-to-day operations.

• Ecological construction, reduction of energy

and water consumption, purchasing from
local suppliers and hiring local staff wherever possible.

• Green Imperative Fund: For each night they spend, guests of Banyan Tree Hotels &
Resorts may make a US$2.00 contribution, and guests of Angsana resorts and hotels
may make a US$1.00 contribution under an “opt-out“ arrangement. The fund supports
several environmental and social projects in all of the countries in which the company
operates.

• “Banyan Tree and Angsana Gallery”: the retail arm of the group that complements
the guests‘ experience by showcasing the crafts of local artisans, giving guests the
opportunity to purchase art and handicrafts, spa ingredients and accessories or
Asian-style home furnishings. The Gallery
promotes cultural and environmental
awareness and appreciation in line with the
group’s overall CSR philosophy: “Embracing
the Environment, Empowering the People”.

Project History
In 1989 Ms. Claire Chiang, one of the founders
of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts and an
ardent campaigner to improve community
lives, was approached to buy two traditional,

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 triangular shaped “maun” cushions
produced by community cooperatives in
Yasathorn, eastern Thailand. Instead, she
ordered 500 maun cushions and other
traditional Thai crafts for the interiors of
the Laguna Phuket resort. The cooperative
became the first project of the Banyan
Tree Gallery, which opened five years
later in the Laguna Phuket Resort. The
craftswomen could work from home
while looking after their children while
some of the proceeds from the sale of the
cushions in the gallery were used to build
Santhitham Vidhayakhom School.

The project was designed to support the communities by

connecting directly with the village cooperatives and cutting
out the commercial middlemen who would diminish the
people’s income. Driven by culture, entrepreneurship in the
social sector and people networks, and founded on sound
sustainable principles, the business expanded quickly, and
there are now over 60 Banyan Tree Galleries and Angsana
Galleries.

Ms. Chiang is now managing director of Banyan Tree Gallery

and Angsana Gallery and senior vice president of Banyan
Tree.

Concept
Banyan Tree Gallery takes responsibility for
the local communities in the countries in
which the company operates by helping
them to generate an adequate income,
while preserving their cultural heritage
and livelihoods. The communities are not
dependent on donations, nor do they have
to leave their villages to seek employment
in the tourism sector. Families can stay

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 together and continue their traditional way of living.

Banyan Tree Gallery acts as a marketing platform to

create cultural and green awareness and is committed
to supporting indigenous artistry, the livelihoods of
village artisans and environmental conservation. Many
of the Gallery products are eco-friendly, using natural
or recycled materials. The Gallery has a wide network of
village producers and project partners in several Asian
countries.

Working directly with community cooperatives and

community producers may have been practiced by
other retailers before, but taking it to a global network
and instilling the education and awareness aspect was
something completely new in the hotel business.

By partnering with local community producers, Banyan

Tree Gallery has led the way for Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts to continually push for more socially
and environmentally responsible sourcing and purchasing.

Banyan Tree Gallery has developed the “Ethos of a

socially responsible tourism retailer”:

• Sustaining Village Development

Banyan Tree Gallery works closely with village
cooperatives and non-profit craft marketing
agents to provide gainful employment and to
help sustain ethnic craft skills.

• Conserving Natural & Cultural Resources

A wide range of eco-friendly products has been
dteveloped through recycling and the use of
indigenous natural materials.

• Showcasing Ethnic Crafts and Culture

Retail items are accompanied by a detailed
write-up of the craft, its creator and its origins to
promote Asia’s rich heritage and culture.

• Educating & Motivating Stakeholders

Market knowledge, such as knowledge about trends and customer preferences, is
shared with the cottage craft producers during workshops and visits to enhance
the marketability and sustainability of the crafts.

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 Implementation Process and Products
Since its inception, Banyan Tree Gallery
has worked closely with over 40 different
village cooperatives, non-profit craft
marketing and community groups from all
over Asia. Through visits and workshops
in the communities, Banyan Tree Gallery
actively enhances craft development.
In the workshops the villagers obtain
knowledge about market trends, pricing
and customer preferences, improving
their skills and marketability. New designs,
applications and products that appeal to
the international market are developed
in close cooperation with the community
producers. Reaching a bigger market through these product innovations means more income for the
communities. Products that suit today’s customer demands are thereby produced using traditional
techniques, such as weaving and silver-crafting.

The Gallery works together with many different groups, including village communities, charitable
groups, stay-at-home mothers and day-care centres for the elderly. A wide range of products, such
as basketry, fabric weaving, embroidery, paper craft,
silver craft, woodwork, stone carving and pottery,
contributes to sustaining the people’s lives and
preserving their cultural heritage.

Wherever possible, products are produced in an

environmentally friendly way by using natural,
indigenous or recyclable resources. Plastic is avoided
as much as possible, even in the product packaging
and no shell or ivory products are carried, in support
of animal rights.

Highlights of some community outreach projects include:

• “Maun” Triangular Cushions

This was the project that shaped the ethos and formation of Banyan Tree Gallery. In
1989 the Yasothorn community in North Thailand was contracted to produce 500
sets of “maun” – that is, triangular-shaped – cushions for the interiors of the resorts in
Laguna Phuket. Proceeds from the sale were distributed to the village women artisans,
with the leftover funds channelled to support the Santitham Vidhayakhom School.

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 • Hilltribe Bamboo Baskets
Durable, easily renewable and environmentally sustainable bamboo plants have
provided the Mooser Hilltribe Women’s Cooperative in North Thailand with one of
the most promising solutions to continuing basketry crafts without damaging the
environment. Regular orders of these beautifully woven bamboo baskets from clients
like Banyan Tree Gallery have allowed this cooperative of 50 hill tribe dwellers to keep
families together under one roof while improving rural income.

• Pandanus Home Accessories

In collaboration with Caston, a support group for Indonesian village women, Banyan
Tree Gallery has helped to design craft pieces that harness the local produce. Through
these unique folding jewellery boxes, tissue boxes and placemats woven from the
fragrant local pandan (screwpine) leaves, women artisans are provided with regular
income and a sense of independence.

• “Mudmee” Silk Shawls

The time-consuming tie-dying and weaving process of “mudmee” (traditional Thai ikat
shawls) is a vanishing skill perfected by few, such as the resilient Nongtakai village
weavers living near the Cambodian border. Through the ongoing support from Banyan
Tree Gallery, Nongtakai weavers have been able to offer their beautiful silk throws to a
wider international market, thus helping to sustain their livelihoods.

• Mini Costume Potpourri

Being fascinated by the beautiful cotton textiles of India, Banyan Tree Gallery supports
the women of the Salangaon Village Women’s Society, who transform ethnic Indian
costumes into miniature form, infusing them with Banyan Tree’s signature aromatic
blends to create a delightful potpourri sachet.

• Recycled Photo Frames

Photo frames were created from pages of discarded telephone directories by disabled
artisans in Chiangmai, North Thailand. In this way, Banyan Tree Gallery was able to
provide the artisans with employment, while concurrently developing eco- friendly
and functional products.

• Krajood Baskets
Since attending a training workshop at Banyan Tree Phuket in 2000, villagers from the
Narathiwat province in South Thailand have been working with designers to expand
their range of basketry products. Using krajood (bulrush reeds), these skilled artisans
are able to weave functional and durable baskets.

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 • Khmer Silk Pouches
These specially commissioned Khmer silk pouches are made by disabled individuals
from the Cambodian Handicraft Association for Helping the Landmine and Polio
Disabled (CHA). CHA teaches these individuals skills such as weaving and sewing,
enabling them to earn a livelihood and helping them to reintegrate into society.

• Elephant Dung Paper Product

Since 2004, Banyan Tree Gallery has been in collaboration with the Millennium
Elephant Foundation to produce a range of elephant dung paper products such as
photo frames and notebooks. Based in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, the foundation concerns
itself with the welfare of elderly and disabled elephants. Through its programmes,
Sri Lankan schoolchildren are educated about elephants and are taught responsible
farming practices for the future. In addition, the elephant mahouts – who are often on
the bottom rung of society – are also provided with an additional source of income
through the production of this elephant dung paper merchandise.

Benefits
Since the launch of the project, Banyan Tree Gallery has supported more than 40 community projects
to enhance the livelihood of local people, among them several disadvantaged groups. At the same
time, the Gallery has helped to preserve the unique cultural heritage of the artisans by generating
market demand and interest in traditional crafts.

Banyan Tree Gallery implements sustainable standards in all its business segments, carrying out
responsible fiscal, political, operational, social and environmental practices. The Gallery thus
implements a holistic sustainable business approach, and the enterprise’s success shows that carrying
out responsible business practices benefits the community and all of the stakeholders.

Over the years the Gallery has been

able to increase its revenue, reaching
US$ 6.9 million (EUR 5.9 million) in 2007.
The company predicts an expansion
of its galleries, from the current 65
(September 2008) to more than 120
outlets by 2011. This sustainable growth
is driven by Banyan Tree Gallery’s
continual focus on engaging a wide
network of village producers and
project partners around the region while
simultaneously engaging the public and

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 other stakeholders through the vision and branding power of sustainable retail.

Contact address
Ms June Lee Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs
Mail: june.lee@banyantree.com
Adress: Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts
211 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588182
Phone: +65 6849 5835
Fax: +65 6462 3800

Sources
June Lee: “Social Enterprise Case Study – Banyan Tree Gallery”, Singapore, 2008
Banyan Tree Sustainability Report 2007
www.banyantreegallery.com/
www.banyantree.com/greenimperative
www.banyantree.com/