(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Health & Wellness Tourism

(NOVEMBER-2025)

Health & Wellness Tourism

Context:

In 1730, health experts suggested, that sea water is useful to cure many diseases, as a result many resorts around the English coast (Europe) were established to attract visitors, seeking to cure themselves by sea water. Travel history is filled with instances of travel to places having hot springs and geysers, as the water contained minerals, which helped in nullifying various bodily ailments.

Background:

Pilgrimages aimed at seeking a spiritual experience have also been some of the earliest travel motivators. In nut shell we can say that, travelling for the purpose of gaining better health and well-being has existed historically. Over time, this form of tourism has reshaped, owing to physical and mental complications of human body, created due to human evolution and globalisation.

Tourism Seasonality and Niche Tourism Products

It is myopic to consider that tourism is merely motivated by leisure requirements. MICE, wellness, medical, adventures etc. also propel tourist movement. Tourism arrivals at any destination are affected by many factors, with seasons playing a major role in tourist inflow. The tourist footfall increases during the ‘peak season’ and gets reduced in ‘lean season’.

Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism

According to the Annual Report 2024-25 of the Ministry of Tourism, GoI, ‘Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism’ has been identified as one of the eight niche areas of tourism development. Although Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism may sound similar, but there are some fundamental differences, with reference to the clientele/traveller identity, approach adopted to deliver well- being and health care, setting, duration of stay etc.
In 2022, the Niche Tourism division of the ministry, formulated a ‘National Strategy for Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism’. Medical Tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) caters to that segment of tourists whose objective is to seek a surgical intervention for an ailment, driven by a variety of reasons. Wellness Tourist on the other hand includes those seeking destinations and activities that enhance their lifestyle and help them proactively maintain and improve their health and well-being.

Key Components of Wellness Tourism

Ayurveda has its origin in Atharva-Veda. Ayurveda provides most comprehensive definition of healthy person as one in whom dosha, agni (metabolic fire), dhatus (tissues) malas (excretory products) and their activities are in balanced state and whose atma (soul), indriya (sense organs) and manas (mind) are in sound state.
Yoga promotes health management by addressing psychosomatic and stress disorders. Eight steps of yoga are called “Ashtang Yoga”. They are: Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (Physical postures), Pranayama (Control of breathing), Pratyahara (withdrawal from the worldly objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi (integration of mind and body).
Naturopathy believes that body is constitution of Pancha-mahabhootas - akash (space), vayu (air), prithvi (earth), jal (water), teja (sun- heat and light). The balance of these elements is health and its imbalance is ill- health.
Unani system is one of the oldest systems of medicine, based on the teachings of Hippocrates, Father of Medicine. The system offers preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare.
Sowa-Rigpa is also one of the oldest medical traditions across the world. This system was reinforced in the Trans-Himalayan region. It is popular in the Himalayan societies of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh (Spiti and Lahaul), Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal (Darjeeling), Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
Homeopathy was developed in the late 18th century by a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann. It is based on the principle of “like cures like,” which argues that the substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person may treat identical symptoms in a sick person, strengthening the body’s defence mechanisms.

Facilitating ecosystem of Medical and Wellness Tourism

The ecosystem necessary to enhance of ‘Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism’ comprises of:

medical service providers hospitals,
wellness service providers, wellness centres, spa’s,
travel agents and
tour operators, who work as tourism facilitators offering packages comprising of transportation, accommodation, visa facilitation and hospital formalities.

Subject to certain conditions, the aforementioned stakeholders’, may be provided financial assistance, under the provisions of the marketing development assistance by MoT, GoI.

Conclusion:

Thus, through medical and wellness tourism, visitors may alleviate their issues diminishing their wholesomeness. In this process employment generation takes place, foreign exchange earning contribute to strengthening the balance of payment.