Prospects of tea tourism in Assam

Gunin Borah

(The writer teaches Geography in Biswanath College. He can be reached at borah.gunin@gmail.com)

The state of Assam, including North East India, is a land of enchanting natural beauties. The blue hills, rivers, natural forests, waterfalls, natural caves, and wildlife offer reasons for tourists to visit this part of India. The Assam is also famous for its vast extensive tea gardens. Tea was discovered in Assam for the first time in the year 1828, by two British travellers Robert and Charles Bruce. Since then tea has become an integral part of the economy of Assam and North Eastern states.

The land of one-horned rhino 'Assam' is the central part of North-Eastern states. Assam or Axom means 'one that is without equal' and that is how it is in terms of tea cultivation. Assam produces full-bodied bright tea liquor. Tea is grown in a 3,12,210 hectares area with a production capacity of 507 million kg. The largest tea research centre of India is located at Tocklai, Jorhat in Assam. Assam is the single largest tea-growing region in the world.

Assam tea which has a rich history of satisfying its world admires with its unique taste and flavour has a rich heritage too, which can equally satisfy the tourist community whether domestic or international. Assam tea and the Tea Estates of Assam have many tourism aspects which the world community has already started to witness and cherish. Tea gardens of Assam, with their lush greenery, the so-called 'Green Carpet' with rows of shade trees, the tea estate Bungalows standing as relies on British Colonial Heritage, the tanned ethnic people with their distinct rhythmic music and dance carry potentialities to attract both domestic and international tourists interest and can present a magnificent revenue opportunity to the state.

Tea tourism is a contemporary concept researched and talked about since the beginning of the 21st century. Tea tourism is a wonderful recreational experience for tourists. The tea tourist means, 'A tourist experiencing history, culture, and traditions and consumption of tea'. The tea gardens, the process of tea plucking, the cultural festivals of the tea tribes, the stay at the luxurious tea bungalows provide a unique four experiences. Tea tourism is already popular in countries like China, Srilanka, and Kenya. It is gradually now catching up in India.

Tea tourism is all about visiting tea gardens and staying out there if possible. The tourists get a chance to explore how the trade works and how the tea gardens are run. The tea gardens are generally spread across vast areas and the lush green plantations offer great views. They can be combined with visits to other nearby attractions. Tourists can have a luxury stay in the middle of a tea garden or someone can simply make a day trip from the nearest town.

Most of the tea estates, especially in Assam came up during the British rule. Tea planters built their mansions in the middle of lush green tea gardens. So, many of these Tea Estates have turned their Bungalows into heritage resorts for tourists. So, tourists, visitors want to experience that colonial charm and luxury, a stay at a tea garden in Assam can provide that opportunity. Most of the famous properties of this kind can be found in the Upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Golaghat and Sonitpur etc.

The first name that crops up in mind for tea tourism in Assam, the largest tea-producing region in India. The Assam tea tourism festival held at Jorhat city every year is a big hit with tourists. Staying in a rustic Colonial-era planters Bungalow has its charm. Home to more than 800 tea estates in the state, where amidst luxury and serenity one can drift back in time to days of that elegant colonial aristocracy. The Tea Auction Centre, Guwahati, one of the busiest tea trading facilities in the world, is a place not to be missed. Other includes the Monabari Tea Estate, the largest tea estate in Assam and also in Asia located in Biswanath district of Assam. It covers nearly 1400 hectares of land, where 1158 hectares were maintained for tea plantations. It is also ranked as the world's largest Tea Estate. The tea is most grown growing Brahmaputra Valley malty Assamese Tea is brightly coloured. The city of Jorhat in the central part of the valley is often referred to as the 'Tea Capital of the World'.

The tea tourists are taken to a tea factory, where they get to experience how the fresh green leaves are brought into the tea factory.

There are different processes of withering to the rolling, drying and shifting stages, grading and packaging and followed by a tea tasting session. After that, tourists could sip some of the finest tea, which is grown in that garden area. Visitors take photographs and learn about the processes. Similarly, factory gives them additional insight into the trade work.

In any Tea Estate, tourists are going for tea testing sessions. This is something like wine tasting, where an expert will introduce visitors to different types of tea and tell them a few things about them. Then visitors will taste a bit of them and learn to appreciate them.

Tea Tourism in Assam is most favoured in the months from June to September, which is the Monsoon season and rainy months in Assam. The months of July and August are however the peak Monsoon season. Most of the tourists are hosted by Tea Estates in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts. The local tea pluckers and factory, farmworkers play a wonderful and warm host.

Especially in Assam, the tea garden workers have a unique history. They were originally from the areas like West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Satishgarh, who were brought here by the British to work in the tea gardens. They are of a sizable population and they have their songs, dance and culture that visitors can explore the culture if they get sufficient time.

The good things are that Northeast India is full of many attractions and most of these tea garden resorts are of many other nearby attractions that tourists can visit. For example, various tea gardens of Assam are located very near to major National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, such as Kaziranga, Nameri, Orang, Dibru-Saikhowa, Manah etc. The historical places like Sivasagar, river island, Majuli are also worth visiting sites.

Assam is the centre of the tea trade. Tea gardens can be found all over Assam, although the concentration is higher in Upper Assam. Many of these Colonial British Bungalows are boutique property for tourists in Assam. There are such properties spread across the Tea Estates of Assam. The best-known properties are to be found in districts of Sonitpur, Biswanath, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia etc. on both north and south banks of the Brahmaputra. Many of these tea gardens have some extra playgrounds like polo fields, and golf courses started in the Pre-Independence period. These play facilities around the Tea Estates can form into an attractive package for tourism development.

The production of Organic tea has become a matter of concern to the health-conscious community of the world. From the last few years, many planters of Assam have started practising the organic method of tea cultivation and production. Health-conscious tourists, from across the country and abroad have started to visit this plantation site, to see the manufacturing procedure personally and interact with planters, adding a new chapter to the Tea Tourism of the region.

The Assam Tourism Department can tie-up with the Assam Tea Corporation to convert some of their old Bungalows of the Pre-Independence period, into Heritage Bungalow sites of Tea Estates. The Senior Officials of the State Tourism Industry would try to get a boost if Tea Estates become a new destination for travellers. It is high time for Assam Tourism as well as the Tea Estates, to take initiative to attract the exclusive group of tourists in the tea sector. The coordination with the management of tea gardens can effectively do a lot in promoting Tea Tourism in the state.

Tea Tourism has occupied a significant position in the economy of a country of the present era, earning currency and strengthening the national economy. Tourism in Assam, besides sustaining the green environment and preserving the heritage and culture, would benefit the state of Assam, by creating employment opportunities and boosting the rural economy and thereby alleviate the insurgency and other socio-economic problems. If the Tea Tourism is highlighted with proper planning and proper prospects, it can help the State government to earn much revenue and also create a new shape of the state like Assam in the map of world tourism.