India attracting holidaymakers with tea tourism

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Britain's love of tea could prompt over one million of us to travel to India on holiday next year, or so the south Asian country is hoping.

Nearly 800,000 people from the UK travelled to the former British colony last year, but a new campaign advertising accommodation on 500 tea plantations could see this number rise further, according to the Times.

Regions famous for their brews including Sikkim, Darjeeling and Assam promise top-of-the-range accommodation where visitors can see what goes into making the perfect cuppa.

British tourism to India has risen by a fifth over the last three years, the country being one of the most popular holiday destinations for people looking to travel outside of Europe.

Sujit Banerjee, secretary of India's tourism ministry, told the paper: "People can stay in one of the luxurious old colonial buildings, with a veranda surrounding the rooms.

"It's a great place to sit and watch tea-pickers with wicker baskets on their backs, picking the newest leaves and tossing them into the baskets."

This month, Mr Banerjee claimed that Indian tourism will be able to overcome the credit crunch by promoting its unique rural way of life and unspoilt countryside.

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