Medical and wellness tourism needs to link with general tourism to India

Medical and wellness tourism needs to link up with general tourism, argues Indian tourism minister Dr Mahesh Sharma.

Sharma suggests that preventative medical treatment; spa and wellness tourism would be better served by being promoted within general tourism rather than alongside medical tourism that concentrates on surgery.

Sharma says, “The potential of medical and wellness tourism is not understood properly. We have not been able to present this sector in an organized way. The proposed National Wellness & Medical Tourism Advisory Board is a step in that direction. It is the government’s commitment to make the sector an organized one and then provide market development assistance to promote and market it in other markets.”

The government of Kerala state wants the national government to offer medical visas for Ayurveda treatment, to boost ayurveda tourism. Medical tourism has gained significant popularity in Kerala as Ayurveda tourism is struggling. Only the national government can decide visa classification.