Shri K. J. Alphons, Union Tourism Minister of State
#TravelMail ( #www.travelmail.in ) #TravelNews #TourismNews #DailyNews #BreakingNews [dropcap]N[/dropcap]ew Delhi: The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India for medical purpose during 2016 were 4,27,014.
The total Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism during 2015, 2016 and 2017 were Rs.1,35,193 crore, Rs.1,54,146 crore and Rs.1,80,379 crore (provisional), respectively.
The share of foreign tourists arriving for medical purpose was 4.85% in the year 2016.
Ministry of Tourism has recognized Medical and Wellness Tourism as Niche Tourism Product for promotion. The Ministry offers financial support as Marketing Development Assistance, for Publicity and for organising Wellness and Medical Tourism Promotion shows as well as workshop/events/seminars to accredited Medical and Wellness Tourism Service Providers and Chambers of Commerce, etc.
A film on Medical Tourism has been produced in association with BBC and is used at various fora for promotional purposes. Medical and Medical attendant visa has been introduced to ease the travel process of Medical Tourists. The e-tourist visa regime has also been expanded to include medical visits as well.
The Department of Commerce and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) has launched a Healthcare Portal www.indiahealthcaretourism.com, as a single source platform providing comprehensive information to medical travellers on the top healthcare institutions in the country. This portal is available in English, Arabic, Russian and French languages.
Further, A National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has also been constituted to provide a dedicated institutional framework to take forward the cause of promotion of Medical and Wellness Tourism including Ayurveda and any other format of Indian system of medicine covered by Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). The Board works as an umbrella organization to promote this segment of tourism in an organized manner and therefore integrates AYUSH streams into the purview of Medical Tourism. It has also been decided to set up facilitation counters at the major airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru for tourists arriving on Medical Visas.
This information was given by Shri K. J. Alphons, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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