Celebrating International Tea Day 🍵 Tea, Travel, and Business: Brewing Innovation Across Borders
21st May 2025 Happy International Tea Day!
As I sit back with a brewed pot of tea to celebrate the magnificence that tea brings to my world as a founder I and in a world where business moves at the speed of light, it’s easy to overlook the quiet rituals that have shaped commerce for centuries. One of the most enduring and powerful of these rituals is the simple act of sharing a pot of tea. Tea is the thing that brings us back to earth and some would even say “have a cuppa, it solves everything” it’s because it brings us together.
It dates back from ancient trade routes to modern boardrooms, tea has been more than just a beverage — it’s been a conduit for connection, creativity, and commerce. Why does this matter and what does it have to do with business I hear you say. Stay with me and travel with me as I explore and reflect on the importance of Tea, travel and business.
🌍 The Tea Trade: The Original Global Business Network
The story of tea is the story of global trade. Originating in ancient China, tea quickly became a prized commodity, sparking the creation of vast trade networks like the Silk Road and the Tea Horse Road. By the 17th century, tea had become central to the operations of powerful trading empires like the British East India Company, influencing everything from shipping routes to colonial policy.
For Men and women of society’s most fortunate, Tea represented wealth, and was given as a gift to the well to do upper echelon. In the past, Tea was not just cargo it was precious — it was currency, culture, and conversation. It brought people together across continents, and in doing so, it laid the groundwork for the globalized business world we know today.
✈️ Tea and Travel: A Ritual of Reflection and Resilience
For modern professionals, digital nomads and remote workers where travel is often synonymous with stress, jet lag, and back-to-back meetings. But tea offers a counterbalance — a moment of calm, a chance to reset, and a way to connect with local culture.
Whether it’s sipping mint tea in Morocco, masala chai in Mumbai, or matcha in Kyoto, tea invites us to slow down and be present. It’s in these quiet moments that some of the best ideas are born.
💼 Tea in Business: Brewing Better Conversations
Certainly for me tea is a passion it creates space for me to digest thoughts and it accompanies we allowing for a little comfort and something to hold on to, nurtures me and gives me a goto when I need a break. I am a very fussy with tea and believe in having it as loose leaf and pure as I can going straight to the source. In many cultures, business doesn’t begin with a pitch — it begins with a pot of tea.
- In China, tea ceremonies are a sign of respect and a way to build trust.
- In Japan, the tea ritual is a meditative practice that fosters mindfulness and clarity.
- In the Middle East, offering tea is a gesture of hospitality and openness, usually accompanied with bucket loads of sugar!
These traditions remind us that business is personal. It’s about building relationships and sharing tea creates space for dialogue, empathy, and innovation. It’s around the tea table — not the boardroom table — where some of the most important decisions are made.
🌱 Tea as a Metaphor for Innovation
It all started with a seed. You can look at Tea as a perfect metaphor for innovation:
- It starts with raw potential — leaves, water, heat.
- It requires patience and process — steeping, blending, refining.
- And it results in something greater than the sum of its parts — a shared experience that energizes and inspires.
In the same way, great business ideas often emerge from unexpected conversations, nurtured over time, and shared with others.
📊 Global Tea Consumption: A Snapshot
- Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, after water [1].
- In 2023, global tea production reached 6.6 million tons, with China leading consumption at 3 million tons, followed by India at 1.16 million tons [1].
- The global tea market was valued at \$247.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.22% through 2025 [1].
- Turkey has one of the highest per capita tea consumption rates — about 1,300 cups per person per year [1].
- Sri Lanka leads in per capita consumption by weight, with 48 kg per person annually, followed by Argentina (27.2 kg) and Turkey (14.7 kg) [2].
- The combined global volume for at-home and out-of-home tea consumption is expected to reach 7.3 billion kg by 2025 [1].
These numbers underscore tea’s economic power and cultural reach, making it a natural medium for building relationships, fostering innovation, and conducting business across borders.
☕ Final Thoughts: Let’s Keep the Kettle On
As we celebrate International Tea Day, let’s remember that tea is more than a drink — it’s a bridge between people, cultures, and ideas. In a fast-paced world, tea reminds us to slow down, listen deeply, and connect meaningfully.
So the next time you’re traveling for business or meeting a new partner, skip the coffee rush. Brew a pot of tea. You might just brew your next big idea.
Where to next?
If you have the inclination to sit in amongst the Tea Plantations check out our stay in Kerala India or head to Sri Lanka for a dose of Tea, sun and Surf. See you in Bulgaria as the Founder of Nomad Stays will be speaking there at the world famous Bansko Nomad Fest lets connect and share a tea.
By Written and Ideation by Linda Founder Nomad Stays, tea addict and passionate about tea and travel
Assisted by AI (copilot) for structure and references and some pictures
