Goodricke Group is planning for ‘Tea Tourism’

Goodricke Group Ltd is coming up with an innovative idea of ‘Tea Tourism’, by making one of its tea estates to a tourism hot spot.

“Thurbo Tea Estate of Mirik in Darjeeling district will be the tourism spot,” said Atul Asthana, Managing Director, GGL. An unused bungalow in the estate, which is built in 1872 will be refurbished for the purpose.

Thurbo estate is located near Nepal and is surrounded by orange and orchid farms. With its tittering streams and rivulets flowing along and scenic beauty of the Nepal Mountains at a distance, Turbo estate becomes an ideal tourism spot.

The idea of a Tea Tourism center was the outcome of the encouragement from the tea-lounge in one of their estates at Margaret’s Hope in Darjeeling. Lots of their visitors were inquiring for staying facilities in the estate. “So we thought of arranging accommodations at the Turbo estate and make it a tourism center,” added Atul.

The estimated cost of the project is around 3 to 4 crores. The company would decide on the positioning of the tourist spot, i.e., whether it has to be luxury, premium or budget, on a later stage, but it had been decided that the properties would be run by professionals. “We may opt to hire an agency to run it,” said Atul.

Goodricke Group Limited is an India-based tea producing company with its head office in West Bengal. It is a part of the Camellia PLC UK – the world’s second largest private sector tea producer.

GGL also has four tea blending units (one each in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, and two in Darjeeling), an instant tea plant and factories at all its estates.