This Industry Focus looks at the enormous potential for "ayur-tourism" in Kerala. The charm of Kerala is well-known and so is the practice of ayurveda healing. What is interesting to note is that when these two aspects merge, i.e., ayurveda and tourism, a new facet of tourism opens up with many opportunities. Different therapies are also outlined here.
"Ayurveda
has given a big boost to the state's tourism industry and has put Kerala on the
world tourism map. Of the foreign tourists, who visited the state this
year, over 40% had combined ayurveda in their package."
Pierre
and Hélène had flown all the way from France to Kerala (Exhibit
I) during the monsoon season for their "Ayurveda holiday"2,
something that this couple had not missed for the past three years. What brought
them to this state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India was the
healing effect of Ayurveda. Hélène's got relieved of migraine, and
the couple went back revejenuated. Kerala also enthralled the couple with its
endless beaches, tranquil backwaters, mist clad hill stations, lush green forests,
delightful wildlife, incredible art forms, unique spicy cuisine and rich cultural
heritage.
Health
and medical tourism is perceived as one of the fastest growing segments in India.
With yoga, meditation, ayurveda (Exhibit II), allopathy, and other systems of
medicines, India now offers a unique basket of services to an individual, which
is difficult to match by other countries. Kerala is a pioneer in health and medical
tourism in India. It has made a concerted effort to promote health tourism along
with its unique Ayurveda treatment. Ayurveda is a significant money-earner for
Kerala tourism as it has been a key to a substantial increase in the number of
visitor arrivals into the state. In order to retain this competitive edge in Ayurveda
tourism, the Kerala tourism board and the state government needed to address a
lot of challenges like bringing in state-of-art quality control standards and
standardization in the Ayurvedic treatments given in the state to cope with the
demands of the modern times. |
