News: Yoga & ayurveda - New mantras of Indian tourism
(TNN 16/09/2006) New Delhi - The government is looking to attract tourist traffic towards niche areas. The second phase of the Incredible India campaign will focus on tourism segments such as medical, rural, heritage, ecological, MICE (meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions), adventure and sports tourism besides others like spiritual, yoga and ayurveda tourism.
According to the ministry of tourism the first phase of the Incredible India campaign resulted in 45.5% increase in the inbound traffic in ’05 over that in ’03 and an additional earnings of Rs 8,274 crore for the tourism industry.
“By focusing on niche tourism we want to differentiate India as a tourist destination, from the others,” said Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism. Over the next five years the Incredible India campaign will promote niche tourism segments by seeking PPP (public private partnership) as the ministry of tourism is not directly into tourism business.
To promote rural tourism in India the ministry has partnered with UNDP. Soon NGOs, rural artisans and women will also be involved in the campaign to promote rural tourism in 36 villages across the country. The website www.exploreruralindia.org will further help in attracting foreign travellers. “Homestay facility will be provided to tourists visiting rural areas,” said Sudhir Sahi, UNDP consultant. Medical tourism is the next big thing that Incredible India has to offer.
Cost of complex surgeries in India is 10-15 times lower than anywhere else in the world. “It is estimated that 6,000 to 7,000 patients (from developed countries) visit India each year for surgeries and this flow is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30-40% over the next five to seven years. The total treatment costs of such patients would add up to about an annual $125-140m (not including spends on non-medical related expenses),” says Zubin Daruwalla, Industry Manager, Healthcare Practice, Frost & Sullivan India.
How can one miss pilgrimage, spirituality, ayurveda and yoga — the USP of India — while promoting tourism? Last year the online yoga advertisement on the website www.incredibleindia.org registered 25,000 hits in just three months. The electronic campaign depicting India as the land of spirituality featuring Deepak Chopra, spirituality’s new age prophet, also gained huge popularity in the West. To attract pilgrims, a Buddhist circuit is now being promoted by the ministry in partnership with airlines.
Sports tourism is also likely to get a boost with 65 new golf courses coming up across the country. Add to this the state-of-the-art convention centres to woo business travellers, Incredible India indeed has lots to offer to its foreign tourists, besides leisure.
According to the ministry of tourism the first phase of the Incredible India campaign resulted in 45.5% increase in the inbound traffic in ’05 over that in ’03 and an additional earnings of Rs 8,274 crore for the tourism industry.
“By focusing on niche tourism we want to differentiate India as a tourist destination, from the others,” said Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism. Over the next five years the Incredible India campaign will promote niche tourism segments by seeking PPP (public private partnership) as the ministry of tourism is not directly into tourism business.
To promote rural tourism in India the ministry has partnered with UNDP. Soon NGOs, rural artisans and women will also be involved in the campaign to promote rural tourism in 36 villages across the country. The website www.exploreruralindia.org will further help in attracting foreign travellers. “Homestay facility will be provided to tourists visiting rural areas,” said Sudhir Sahi, UNDP consultant. Medical tourism is the next big thing that Incredible India has to offer.
Cost of complex surgeries in India is 10-15 times lower than anywhere else in the world. “It is estimated that 6,000 to 7,000 patients (from developed countries) visit India each year for surgeries and this flow is expected to grow at a CAGR of 30-40% over the next five to seven years. The total treatment costs of such patients would add up to about an annual $125-140m (not including spends on non-medical related expenses),” says Zubin Daruwalla, Industry Manager, Healthcare Practice, Frost & Sullivan India.
How can one miss pilgrimage, spirituality, ayurveda and yoga — the USP of India — while promoting tourism? Last year the online yoga advertisement on the website www.incredibleindia.org registered 25,000 hits in just three months. The electronic campaign depicting India as the land of spirituality featuring Deepak Chopra, spirituality’s new age prophet, also gained huge popularity in the West. To attract pilgrims, a Buddhist circuit is now being promoted by the ministry in partnership with airlines.
Sports tourism is also likely to get a boost with 65 new golf courses coming up across the country. Add to this the state-of-the-art convention centres to woo business travellers, Incredible India indeed has lots to offer to its foreign tourists, besides leisure.
posted by InCar Group Press Room at 11:01
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