Assam government wants to unify golf and tea gardens visits and create an exclusive product for the State.
MUMBAI- The Assam government is planning to develop 22 golf courses in the state. The state wants to use the golf courses for setting up a golf circuit. “We have 22 golf courses, which is already a big number. The golf courses are located mostly in tea gardens. So, we want to have a tie-up with the tea garden owners,” Anurag Singh, Managing Director, Assam Tourism Department, was quoted as saying in a PTI report.
Singh said that his department had already conducted a study with a consultant specialising in golf courses and had a preliminary discussion with tea garden owners. “The consultant has given a suggestion that we need to go in for some kind of public-private partnership with the tea garden owners under a revenue-sharing model,” he said.
He regretted that while the golf courses existed for decades, many of the tea gardens were not managing them properly or utilising their potential. As per the proposal, the State Government and the Tourism Department will invest in developing the golf courses, while the maintenance work will be carried out by tea garden owners.
Along with Golf Tourism, Tea Tourism would also get a boost as a spin-off, Singh hoped. Singh said plans were afoot to set up new golf resort at Chandrapur, near Guwahati.
Assam is well known for its tea of course but also for its lush landscapes. The State has a rich culture and heritage and a pristine biodiversity. The state has often been referred to as a traveller’s paradise. It is surrounded by tropical rainforests, bamboo trees, being home to a variety of unique animals and ecosystems. Some of the world-famous wildlife sanctuaries, like Kaziranga and Manas, are situated in Assam preserving endangered species of the world such as the One-horned Rhinoceros, White-winged Wood Duck, Bengal Florican, Black-breasted Parrot, Pygmy Hog, Hoolock Gibbon, etc. The two sanctuaries have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Assam’s most famous temple is the Shakti Temple of the Goddess Kamakhya situated on the top of Nilachal Hills, overlooking river Brahmaputra, is eight km. away from the railway station of Guwahati. Devotees from all over India converge on this holy place during religious festivities.
(Source: Travel BizMonitor)
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
