The next time you visit Assam, you may indulge in the luxury of a leisurely walk in a tea estate, or still better, play a game of golf, if keen.
‘Tea-tees’, or golf courses in tea estates, is one of the innovative ideas that the Tourism Department of Assam has hit upon recently. About 24 nine-hole courses and two 18-hole courses “tend to attract international tourists” at present, said Ashutosh Agnihotri, Commissioner and Secretary of the department. A walk in the tea gardens after a game of golf is an added attraction.
The Department is pitching for private sector investments with public private partnerships to give a boost to tourism. “We are looking for private participants to invest in new hotels, luxury resorts, cruises and improvement of existing facilities,” he told newspersons.
Speaking at a “road show” held in Hyderabad on Thursday, Ashutosh and MK Deka, Director of Tourism, explained the rich natural beauty and cultural heritage of Assam, mentioning that they now “want it to be known for the right reasons”.
Various facilities are available, both for the tourist and the potential investor to look at: Assam has five national parks, 845 tea gardens, one of the largest rivers in the country and even golf courses. All of these provide opportunities for tourism for the State which, according to Ashutosh, has seen the number of tourists increase from 10 lakh in 2001 to 46 lakh in 2015, with a proportionate 4-5 times growth in revenue.
The North-Eastern State has ample land with close to 40 per cent of the geographical area enjoying green cover, and investors could potentially collaborate with the Government too, in the development of hotels, luxury cruises, golf courses, or even adventure parks.