GUWAHATI: The Assam government has rolled out an ambitious scheme to provide financial assistance to selected tea gardens.
The announcement of this scheme marks the celebration of the bicentenary of Assam Tea and is aimed to exploit its tourism potential.
Tea estates that fulfill the eligibility criteria will be the recipients of financial assistance of up to Rs 2 crore each under this initiative.
This substantial investment will be pumped to upgrade the infrastructure of these tea gardens and to transform them into popular tourist attractions that pull visitors from around the globe.
In a significant move to boost tea tourism in the state, 24 tea gardens were recently selected to benefit from this scheme. This visionary initiative intends to improve the existing tourist facilities within these tea gardens and also aims to encourage private tea companies to actively promote tea tourism.
The development of modern amenities is a topmost priority and the objective is to attract international tourists to experience the serene beauty of Assam’s lush tea estates.
The scheme also stressed upon the significance of fostering coordination among various tea industry stakeholders, including state tourist operators, to create a thriving tea tourism industry.
Moreover, the goal is also to add a wide range of tea tourism activities such as tea leaf plucking, nature walks, trekking, and even golfing, in order to complement and diversify the tourist experience.
Furthermore, the scheme underscores the rich cultural and socio-economic heritage of the tea tribes who have been living in Assam since many generations.
This unique experience will provide the visitors with fascinating insights about the region's unique traditions and way of life.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Tourism Department issued sanction letters to 34 tea gardens that have shown interest in boosting tea tourism infrastructure in their gardens.
Distributing the sanction letters, Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said, "Assam has rich potential for tea tourism that has not been tapped as yet. Heritage bungalows, golf courses, etc. in the tea gardens in Assam have their own histories. However, all these potentials have not been marketed. The oldest golf course in Asia is in a tea garden in Assam. Through proper marketing, all these heritages can woo tourists."
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