West Bengal Steps Up Tea Tourism Plans Across Darjeeling and Dooars

JALPAIGURI, India - Aug. 20, 2026 - PRLog -- The West Bengal government has announced plans to develop a dedicated tea tourism circuit across north Bengal, turning colonial-era tea garden bungalows into heritage homestays. Tourism minister Shankar Ghosh confirmed the initiative this week, saying it is part of a larger effort to project Darjeeling as a global destination while creating jobs and revenue opportunities for local communities living around the tea estates. The plan also includes tea festivals at Siliguri and Darjeeling Mall, along with an orange festival in Sittong, and hospitality training for tea garden workers so they too can benefit directly from the growing tourism economy.

For Octavius Tea Resorts, this announcement is a welcome validation of something the brand has believed in for years: that Bengal's tea estates are among India's most underrated travel experiences.

Octavius Tea Resorts operates two heritage properties right at the heart of this emerging circuit: Sylee Tea Estate in the Darjeeling hills, known for its sweeping views of the Kanchenjunga range, and Nya Sylee Tea Estate in the Dooars, built around a century-old British-era planter's bungalow. Both properties already offer exactly the kind of experience the state government is now hoping to scale up across the region: guided garden walks, tea tasting sessions, factory visits, and stays inside working tea estates rather than in standard hotel rooms.

Many resort and hotel business owners has said that they are glad to see the government formally recognising what it has long known, that a stay at a tea garden bungalow is a different kind of holiday altogether. Guests get colonial charm, mountain views, and a first-hand look at how tea travels from leaf to cup, all in a single trip, the spokesperson added.

With the state now investing in infrastructure, training, and promotion for tea heritage tourism, Octavius Tea Resorts expects to see growing interest from both domestic and international travellers looking for an authentic alternative to the usual hill station circuit.

Travellers can book their stay at Sylee and Nya Sylee Tea Estates directly through Octavius Tea Resorts at https://tearesorts.in/reservation or call +919313530035. Both properties offer guided tours to tea estates and tea tasting sessions, and are easily accessible from Bagdogra Airport and New Jalpaiguri railway station.