DIP: 18.02.S04/20251004 
DOI: 10.25215/2455/1004S04 
Abstract
The tea gardens of Western Dooars, India, are haemorrhaging their workforce due to distress migration, a symptom of a deeply distressed plantation economy. This study moves beyond theoretical postulations to empirically investigate the drivers of this exodus and critically evaluate the touted panacea: tea tourism. Employing a structured questionnaire among migrant and potential migrant workers (N=172), we utilized quantitative methods, including factor analysis and multiple regression. Our findings present a stark dichotomy. On one hand, economic drivers—specifically, low wages and unemployment—emerge as overpowering push factors. On the other, the perceived benefits from existing tea tourism initiatives are markedly low, with respondents largely dismissing its capacity to generate new jobs, increase incomes, or foster skill development. A robust regression model (R² = 0.72) confirms that economic deprivation is a primary predictor of migration intent. We conclude that the current incarnation of tea tourism is, for most workers, a phantom solution. The study thus pivots to propose a community-centric, multi-pronged framework designed to recalibrate tea tourism from a peripheral aesthetic venture into a core strategy for building resilient, diversified livelihoods and offering a genuine alternative to the desperate compulsion to migrate.
The author(s) appreciates all those who participated in the study and helped to facilitate the research process. 
The author(s) declared no conflict of interest. 
ISSN 2455-670X