Indian State Plans for Wellness Tourism

 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India,   (NNN-Bernama) -- With the new tourism season round the corner, south Indian state Kerala has put in plans to provide world-class Ayurveda facilities and services for visitors factoring in the biodiversity hotspot of Western Ghats.

One of the eight hottest biodiversity hot spots in the world, Western Ghats has been identified a key component in Kerala Tourism's campaign focusing on Ayurveda, latching on to the worldwide interest in the ancient Indian system of wellness, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

"Kerala is naturally blessed to be the flag bearer of Ayurveda because of the state's rich ecosystem available within the Western Ghats," said Kerala Tourism Minister AP Anil Kumar, prefacing the plan.

Kerala is home to over 900 species of Ayurvedic herbs.

The Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs through its eastern sector from the hills of Wayanad in Northern Kerala to the southern Sahyadri peak, is an abundant reserve for medicinal herbs.

For instance, 'Agasthyakoodam' peak near the state capital, believed to be abode of Sage Agasthya of Indian mythology, is home to some of the rarest medicinal herbs.

Under the Tourism Department's quality assurance policy, visitors looking for therapeutic and rejuvenating programmes would be guided by the 'Green Leaf' and 'Olive Leaf' grading for Ayurvedic institutions, which marks 'Kerala Tourism approved Ayurvedic Centres,' a Kerala Tourism release said on Friday.

In Kerala, a majority of foreign visitors utilising the Ayurveda wellness programmes were from Germany, the Middle East and Australia.

According to state Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, "Ayurveda of Kerala is essentially wellness oriented, a treatment to bring vigour and existence to your system. That is what the tourists are looking for."

The Ayurvedic therapy programmes are expected to push the length of holidays for tourists further. Under the Ayurveda-focused tourism campaign, the average length of the holiday for foreign tourists was expected to go up to 18 days per person from the present average stay of 16.2 days.

The State is also transforming itself into an Ayurveda therapy for illness besides the present pillar as a wellness treatment destination.

While certain illnesses like back pain are already treated under Ayurveda, the Ayurvedic centres across the State will be offering treatment for illnesses like respiratory ailments also.

Another plan of the State to bring about a convergence between different systems of medicine centring on holistic and multidisciplinary hospitals offering treatment under traditional as well as modern systems of medicine.

The State tourism had also decided to add new destinations and new products, the release added. -- NNN-BERNAMA