Editorial
Ayurveda for medical value travel: Untapped
potential
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BACKGROUND
H uman health is impacted by globalization and the
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increase in the volume and pace of international
trade in goods and services. Over the past 10 years, new
health‑care service production and consumption patterns
have emerged due to the expansion of international
medical technology, capital funding, regulatory regimes,
and patient and health‑care professional flows. People are
increasingly inclined to travel in quest of higher quality
and more reasonably priced health‑care solutions as
globalization and consumerism have taken hold. The
movement of patients across borders in search of health
care and medical treatment – a practice known as “Medical
Tourism” – has become a significant new component of
the expanding health‑care industry. Medical tourism
may be defined as “activities related to travel and
hosting a foreign tourist who stays at least one night at
the destination region to maintain, improve, or restore
health through medical intervention.” These medical
interventions may be broadly classified into the following
categories: medical treatment, wellness and rejuvenation,
and cures through traditional systems of medicine.[1] A
similar term, “Wellness tourism,” is frequently used in
connection with medical tourism. The Global Wellness
Institute defines wellness tourism as travel associated with
the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal
well‑being.[2] Medical tourism is now often referred to
as Medical Value Travel (MVT), as it captures patients’
healthcare‑seeking behavior as well as the wider economic
impact of such travel on nations hosting them.[3]
MARKET OVERVIEW
The global medical tourism market size accounted
for $104.68 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach
$273.72 billion by 2027, registering a Compound Annual
Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.8% from 2019 to 2027 in terms
of value. In terms of volume, the global medical tourism
market accounted for 23,042.90 thousand patients
in 2019 and is projected to reach 70,358.61 thousand
patients by 2027, registering a CAGR of 15.0% from
2019 to 2027.[4] The top countries for MVT patients are
Thailand, Mexico, the United States, Singapore, India,
Brazil, Turkey, and Taiwan. According to the size of the
wellness tourism market, the United States, Germany,
China, France, Japan, Austria, and India are the top
countries for wellness travel. India is ranked 10th by the
© 2022 International Journal of Ayurveda Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
Medical Tourism Association on the Medical Tourism
Index for 2020–2021 out of 46 destinations of the world,
12th in top 20 wellness tourism markets globally, and
5th in wellness tourism markets in APAC. By 2026, the
Indian MVT Market, currently valued at $5–6 billion, is
projected to reach $13 billion.[5]
INDIA: A GLOBAL HUB FOR MEDICAL
TOURISM
India has emerged as a global leader in medical
tourism. The competitiveness of India as a destination
for medical tourism has been influenced by a number
of variables such as a sizable diaspora community,
the availability of a low‑cost, experienced, and skilled
pool of medical professionals, growth and expansion of
the private health‑care sector offering super‑specialty
care, advanced‑upgraded technology, and having
international accreditation, government support, and
incentives in the form of lower import duties, prime
land at subsidized rates, and tax concessions.[6] India’s
prospects in medical tourism have benefited from
various other aspects such as the usage of the English
language which provides an added advantage over
nearby nations and the strong reputation of the advanced
health‑care sector on the international platforms as
the medical professionals are regarded and respected
abroad for their expertise.[6] With a wide diversity of
tourist destinations available offering cultural and
linguistic affinities, India is regarded as an alluring
destination for medical tourism. In India, the countries
serving as the main sources of medical tourism include
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh, Maldives,
Nigeria, Kenya, and Iraq. However, India has a great
opportunity to aggressively court medical tourists from
other continents, such as Europe and the Americas.[7]
MEDICAL TOURISM AND AYURVEDA
FOR GROWING ECONOMIC BURDEN
OF DISEASES
The prevalence of “lifestyle disorders,” such as diabetes,
hypertension, and heart disease, is rising as the complexity
of modern life increases. Consequently, the global share of
deaths attributable to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
increased from almost 61% in 2000 to almost 74% in
2019.[8] NCDs already pose a substantial economic burden,
and this burden will evolve into a staggering one over
75
 Nesari: Ayurveda for medical value travel
the next two decades. With respect to cardiovascular
disease, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, and
mental health, the macroeconomic simulations suggest
a cumulative output loss of US$ 47 trillion over the next
two decades. This loss represents 75% of the global
gross domestic product in 2010 (US$ 63 trillion).[9] The
psychosocial wellness of the present generation has been
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seen to be gradually impacted by the current competitive
environment and technocentric lifestyle.
The world has agreed on the Universal Health Coverage
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(UHC), and it is the responsibility of every country
and national government to pursue it. Every country
has its unique needs, and the gulf between potential
health-care services, technologies, and access to people is
widening.[10] The UHC initiative reaffirms its dedication
to delivering health care to everyone without any
financial hardship. The widespread belief that health
care systems are dominated by "medical care" services
such as doctors, clinics, diagnostics, and hospitals
necessitates a shift in the way policy regulators think
about health assurance strategies with an emphasis on
disease prevention, human behavior, and integrative
interventions based on Ayurveda and Yoga.[11] Ayurveda
provides physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being
through preventive and promotional strategies and
holistic disease treatment. Preventive modalities such
as lifestyle modification such as Dinacharya (~daily
regimen), Ritucharya (~seasonal regimens), Nishacharya
(~night regimen), Yoga, Pranayama (~control of breath),
Panchakarma (~five internal bio‑cleansing therapies), and
Pathya-Apathya (~wholesome and unwholesome) not only
prevent disease but also promote health and make the body
immune to disease. Ayurveda utilizes a holistic approach,
considering a patient’s physical characteristics (~Prakruti)
during treatment and preventative measures, as the
cornerstone of health in accordance with its philosophy of
equilibrium with the environment, using natural resources
as a medium for treatment, restoration of wholeness and
harmony, and preservation of an equilibrium between the
fragmentation and disorder of the mind-body complex.
Due to these unique characteristics, Ayurveda has a
greater potential to become the ideal alternative to health
tourism, especially wellness tourism. India has developed
into a top-tier and alluring destination for tourists from
around the world seeking world-class clinical care and
rejuvenation. As a result of its emphasis on traditional
therapies and treatments through Ayush, India has also
grown to be a popular destination for yoga and wellness.
STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
The six‑pillar plan of “National Strategy and Roadmap
for Medical and Wellness Tourism” has been developed
by the Ministry of Tourism emphasizing creating a
76 International Journal of Ayurveda Research | Volume 3 | Issue 2 | July-December 2022
brand for India as a destination for wellness, bolstering
the environment for health and wellness travel and
setting up an online MVT portal for enhancement in the
accessibility for MVT, promoting wellness tourism, etc.,
Under the banner of “Incredible India,” various digital
promotional activities are being taken regularly. The
special provision of medical visas has been made for
tourists traveling to India for health‑care purposes to
about 156 countries globally.[12] The Government of India
has also established a MVT Council to market India as a
top health‑care destination for patients around the world.
THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH INITIATIVES
AND SUPPORT
The government has been actively promoting indigenous
medicine and associated treatment techniques. In
the Union Budget for FY 2021–22, the Ministry of
Ayush (MoA) has recently received funding of INR 2,970
crore, up from INR 2,122 crore in the Union Budget for
FY 2020–21, drawing on the nation’s unmatched and
centuries‑old spiritual philosophy’s expertise.[13]
On a similar ground, the government has also developed
“the Champion Services Sector Scheme for MVT” to
promote medical tourism, particularly in the area of the
traditional system of medicine. This project is anticipated
to boost the number of foreign patients, tourists, and
visitors, which will likely result in an increased revenue for
the nation in the form of foreign exchange. The proposed
initiative also aims to increase opportunities for Ayush job
opportunities, nationwide authentic data creation in the
Ayush sector, capacity building and skill development in
the area of Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional systems
of medicine, and promotion of export of MVT services.[14]
The Ministry is providing interest subsidy for establishing
world‑class, cutting‑edge super‑specialty hospitals/
daycare centers of the systems recognized under
the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970, or
Homeopathic Central Council Act, 1973, having a good
connectivity under the categories, namely, 50‑bedded
hospitals; 10‑bedded hospitals, and day‑care centers.[14]
The interest subsidy will be provided for the construction
of building and purchasing of equipment and machinery
only. Under this scheme, the Ministry has received 81
proposals for setting up Ayush hospitals/centers across
the country, of which three proposals were approved.
In the bid to promote the “Heal in India” campaign,
Honorable PM Narendra Modi, during his inaugural
address at the “Global Ayush Investment and innovation
Summit, 2022,” at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, announced that
India is going to introduce a special category of Ayush
visa for the foreign nationals who want to come to the
country to take advantage of traditional medicine.[15]
 Nesari: Ayurveda for medical value travel
A National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has
been established by the Ministry of Tourism, with the
Honorable Minister (Tourism) serving as its chairman,
to create a dedicated institutional structure to further
the cause of promoting medical tourism. The board
will work toward establishing MVT as a distinct sector
and a platform for consultation and exchange of ideas
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among all the stakeholders to develop suitable policy
recommendations and strategies, to frame suitable
guidelines for registration, oversight, and grievance
redressal for MVT facilitators and service providers. It
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will also develop and maintain an online MVT portal
and database of hospitals, clinics, wellness centers, spas,
Ayush companies, and medical tourism companies.[1]
The MoA is also working in close collaboration with the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in association with
the Center for Development of Advanced Computing
and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) to create
an one‑step portal that will provide an easy access to
reliable information for people who want to receive
treatment in India from overseas. The participation of
MoA in the “Chintan Shivir 2022,” themed Heal in India,
has also generated some concrete recommendations for
promoting traditional medicine in Indian tourism. An
integrated communication strategy to promote the brand
India as a part of the “Heal in India” campaign and as a
subbrand of Incredible India on all digital platforms and
all international media initiatives is required.
AYURVEDA: THE ART OF HOLISTIC
HEALING
India is emerging as a hub for a number of facilities to
retreat, refuel, and regenerate, from yoga ashrams to
spas and wellness facilities offering holistic therapy.
Numerous hotels and resorts offer Ayurvedic treatments,
and the rising demand has enabled several premium
hotels to introduce wellness segments with experts and
therapists. Capacity‑building initiatives are being taken
to train the service providers’ experts, therapists, and
paramedical and nonmedical staff to ensure the quality
of services. It necessitates quality assurance programs
through regulation, standardization, and accreditation
in providing Ayurveda facilities. The regulators should
encourage private investment in Ayurveda medical
infrastructure and policy‑making, provide low‑interest
rate loans, and reduce import/excise duty for medical
equipment and facilities. There should be a price parity
for treatment modalities provided and assurance to
ensure quality standards in the services given.
There is a demand for Ayurveda owing to its rejuvenating
therapies in western countries. A number of significant
business operators in the health‑care industry are
opening health and wellness centers with a primary
International Journal of Ayurveda Research | Volume 3 | Issue 2 | July-December 2022
focus on providing wellness and restorative treatment
options. There is a growing trend of developing various
townships, villages, healing hubs, and communities. Such
modalities could be adopted creating specialized tourism
areas with top‑notch amenities and wellness options.
The states should be encouraged to create such unique
wellness tourist zones. Strategic efforts to synergize with
the major stakeholders such as MVT facilitators, airlines,
and hostels should be made in offering India as a holistic
healing as well as a rejuvenating destination.
The government should raise the number of institutions
that create more Ayurveda doctors and medical
professionals, which would enhance the quality of
services, while also emphasizing the teaching standards
in colleges. The industry might grow and flourish further,
becoming more effective and alluring on a worldwide
scale with a stronger health‑care infrastructure and
people resources.[16]
Increasing the participation of Ayush in the international
events will promote and propagate Ayurveda as a global
platform. This will boost the international integration
of Ayurveda with advanced medical systems. Hence,
branding and marketing will augment the spread
of awareness of Ayurveda and eventually increase
medical tourism in the sector of Ayurveda. Designing
comprehensive health insurance plans that cover
international health‑care facilities providing Ayurvedic
wellness and treatment globally is necessary.
THE ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF
AYURVEDA INITIATIVES IN MEDICAL
VALUE TRAVEL
The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AllA) was
established to address the expanding need for Ayurveda
on a global scale. It is a premier Ayurvedic Tertiary
Care Center that has received NABH accreditation and
is well known both domestically and abroad for its
health‑care facility. It has a 200‑bedded well‑equipped
hospital with highly qualified, skilled, and experienced
consultants and nursing staff. With the ultimate aim
of providing “care with compassion,” it has variously
integrated including a lifestyle, dietetics and yoga
clinic, integrative dentistry facility, cancer clinic, and
postCOVID clinic beside a dedicated COVID Health‑care
Center to treat mild‑to‑moderate cases of COVID‑19. The
health‑care facilities provided have been utilized and
well‑appreciated by the international patients visiting
the AIIA for their health‑care needs.
The AIIA has joined with long‑run strategy of promoting
Ayurveda globally, has successfully run various
exchange of knowledge programs, and felicitated the
visitation of various foreign delegates in the country.
77
 Nesari: Ayurveda for medical value travel
The establishment of the “International Cooperation Cell
for Ayurveda” at the AIIA, responsible for coordinating
the establishment of Ayurveda chairs, strengthening
health centers and institutions abroad, as well as creating
educational materials for international delegations
and foreign spies, has been made to promote medical
tourism through branding of Ayurveda. The AIIA has
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represented itself in various international events and
platforms, and as a part of this propagational plan,
the AIIA has signed 14 International Memorandum of
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Understanding with numerous institutions and colleges
overseas including UK Harvard Medical School, Boston,
USA, the Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,
European Academy of Ayurveda, Birstein, Germany,
and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The AIIA has been assigned as a nodal agency for the
implementation of AYUSH skill development initiatives
and has introduced Qualification Packs for AYUSH
Subsector Skill Council under the Health Sector Skill
Council (HSSC), to facilitate and empower India as a
global nation for skilled human resource in Ayurveda
leveraging the “Heal by India” component of medical
tourism in India.
THE ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF
AYURVEDA SERVICE AT “WORLD’S
TOURIST DESTINATION”
With a vision and faith, to replicate and reproduce the
achievements and success of AIIA, Delhi, its satellite
institute in Goa was dedicated to the nation by Honorable
PM Sh. Narendra Modi. The scenic beauty of Goa makes
it a popular tourist destination and it will aid tourists to
access the traditional health‑care facilities provided by
the institute. Two more institutions, namely, the National
Institute of Unani Medicine, Ghaziabad, and the National
Institute of Homoeopathy, Delhi, were also dedicated to
the nation on the same occasion. In the inaugural speech
by PM Modi, he stated that “The spirit of Sarve Bhavantu
Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah,” meaning wellness for
all, can help India get ahead in the field of providing
medical facilities, especially in the Ayush sector, which
is full of opportunities for everyone. Goa, being a hub
of international tourism, has the potential to become
a medical tourism hub with the help of the All India
Institute of Ayurveda satellite center in Goa.[17]
Thus, it is very much visible and noticed that the
government has prioritized the traditional system of
medicine to make India the hub of medical tourism.
India will undoubtedly assume the lead in medical
and wellness tourism as the major stakeholder, and
the government is keen to utilize the true potential of
Ayurveda in the wellness sector of MVT.
78 International Journal of Ayurveda Research | Volume 3 | Issue 2 | July-December 2022
Tanuja Manoj Nesari
All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, India
Address for correspondence:
Prof. Tanuja Manoj Nesari,
Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar,
New Delhi, India.
E-mail: director@aiia.gov.in
Received: 21‑12‑2022
Revised: 24-12-2022
Accepted: 25-12-2022
Published: 31-12-2022
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