Kerala to boost medical tourism

Bookings are also on the rise for May and June, translating into a growing travel demand for the summer season.

One of the most popular tourism destinations in India, Kerala was severely affected by the hospitality industry collapse during the recent pandemic. But now, tourism in Kerala is starting to revive, after two years of Covid-19 disruption. With hotels almost fully booked for the several months to come, travel experts estimate a busy summer season for the Indian state.

“There is a 50 percent rise in bookings. The first few months of the year saw a jump in tourists driving in for holidays from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka apart from the locals. But after March there is a rush of tourists from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi,” explained George Dominic, representing the Association of Approved and Classified Hotels of Kerala.

Moreover, Kerala also welcomes leisure travellers switching to Indian destinations due to pandemic related regulations or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“We had cut the rates by about 25 percent to attract visitors for the summer. But now there is so much rush for occupancy that it seems discounts won’t be necessary”, added Dominic.

As the tourism sector accounts for 10 percent of the local GDP and more than 23 percent when it comes to employment rate, Kerala hopes to resume pre-pandemic demand and even exceed forecast.

“The arrivals have been so strong this year that we are hopeful of surpassing the pre-Covid levels in the second quarter,” declared Rajesh C. G., research officer at Kerala Tourism.

Medical tourism is also on the rise in Kerala, with people all over the world coming here in search for the best Ayurvedic, beauty or wellness treatments at convenient prices. Surgery is also on the list of demands.

“The flow of medical tourists has improved and is nearly back to normal. People from developed countries flock to India mostly for surgical treatment because of a 30-70 percent reduction in cost.

“Kerala has a big advantage when it comes to cosmetology patients. Our main competitors are Thailand and Sri Lanka. The latter is not doing well now because of economic turmoil,” added Joseph Thomas, founder director of Medlounges.

Additionally, in order to boost travel in the area, Kerala’s official tourism department currently promotes caravan and adventure trips for domestic visitors, such as beach surfing and surfing training camps, as well as snake boat races, following a three years break for such events.

 

Source: moneycontrol.com