Many years ago I met a gentleman from San Francisco, while we were both lounging around poolside at our Hua Hin condo complex, in Thailand. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that he came to Thailand for some root canal work.
In reply to my initial response that it seemed like a long way to come to see the dentist, he explained that the quality was so good, yet the price so low, that it was less expensive to come to Thailand for a few weeks than doing the work back home. Plus, heck, you get to spend a few weeks in Thailand!
Following our conversation, I explored the matter further. It turned out that even back then there was a burgeoning tourism business bringing folks to Thailand precisely to benefit from its excellent but comparatively inexpensive medical services. Since that time, of course, the medical tourism business became a major phenomenon, almost as widely discussed as it is practiced. And many more countries have arisen as sought-after medical tourism destinations. Just last year, a friend traveled to Mexico to get his teeth capped.
It appears that the wake of this medical tourism boom has spawned, now, a more general wellness tourism industry. Think of it, if you like, as the preventative care version of medical tourism.
While this might seem like an obvious spin-off of medical tourism, closer examination is more revealing. The wellness tourism trend is in fact a lot older. It's just been a bit off the grid - though not entirely.
A lot of readers here may not be old enough to remember, but, back in the late 1960s, there was an international India-craze inspired by a mega-popular rock band, the Beatles, after they traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment and mastery of the techniques of meditation. And, it turns out, again, today, the current time in India is wellness time.
Meditation, along with yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, are the wellness practices, growing in popularity in recent years, even in cultures historically foreign to them, which are driving the new wellness travel boom. These are well established, in some cases ancient, Indian practices.
India has, as a result of all this, become the world's fastest growing wellness travel destination. The current projected growth in wellness tourism for the country is estimated at 22 percent per year. At the moment the U.S. holds top spot for wellness tourism. Looking to the future, with a growth rate below 6 percent in the States, it appears India is poised to shoot ahead as leader in the field.
As we've seen, there's nothing new about India's spiritual retreats and spas, ashrams and gurus attracting international visitors. For the last half century, though, these visitors have been primarily hippies and other alternate lifestyle types. That's all changing, now, big time. Awareness of wellness as a central factor in a long, healthy and enjoyable life has grown among people all over the world. The result is that India's ancient wellness secrets have taken center stage.
Among the top destinations for wellness travel in India are SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. The themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda run throughout their practices. Though, a couple do also offer spectacular beachside sunsets as well. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
As we said, as a whole new era of travel is upon us: there's no doubt that the current time in India is definitely wellness time.
In reply to my initial response that it seemed like a long way to come to see the dentist, he explained that the quality was so good, yet the price so low, that it was less expensive to come to Thailand for a few weeks than doing the work back home. Plus, heck, you get to spend a few weeks in Thailand!
Following our conversation, I explored the matter further. It turned out that even back then there was a burgeoning tourism business bringing folks to Thailand precisely to benefit from its excellent but comparatively inexpensive medical services. Since that time, of course, the medical tourism business became a major phenomenon, almost as widely discussed as it is practiced. And many more countries have arisen as sought-after medical tourism destinations. Just last year, a friend traveled to Mexico to get his teeth capped.
It appears that the wake of this medical tourism boom has spawned, now, a more general wellness tourism industry. Think of it, if you like, as the preventative care version of medical tourism.
While this might seem like an obvious spin-off of medical tourism, closer examination is more revealing. The wellness tourism trend is in fact a lot older. It's just been a bit off the grid - though not entirely.
A lot of readers here may not be old enough to remember, but, back in the late 1960s, there was an international India-craze inspired by a mega-popular rock band, the Beatles, after they traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment and mastery of the techniques of meditation. And, it turns out, again, today, the current time in India is wellness time.
Meditation, along with yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, are the wellness practices, growing in popularity in recent years, even in cultures historically foreign to them, which are driving the new wellness travel boom. These are well established, in some cases ancient, Indian practices.
India has, as a result of all this, become the world's fastest growing wellness travel destination. The current projected growth in wellness tourism for the country is estimated at 22 percent per year. At the moment the U.S. holds top spot for wellness tourism. Looking to the future, with a growth rate below 6 percent in the States, it appears India is poised to shoot ahead as leader in the field.
As we've seen, there's nothing new about India's spiritual retreats and spas, ashrams and gurus attracting international visitors. For the last half century, though, these visitors have been primarily hippies and other alternate lifestyle types. That's all changing, now, big time. Awareness of wellness as a central factor in a long, healthy and enjoyable life has grown among people all over the world. The result is that India's ancient wellness secrets have taken center stage.
Among the top destinations for wellness travel in India are SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. The themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda run throughout their practices. Though, a couple do also offer spectacular beachside sunsets as well. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
As we said, as a whole new era of travel is upon us: there's no doubt that the current time in India is definitely wellness time.
About the Author:
When you need to keep tabs on what's happening on the India travel scene, follow us at the Current Time in India site. Mitchell Jones is an experienced travel writer and old India hand. For those considering exotic travel with their children, his article on CDC Travel Vaccines and the Joy of Traveling with Your Kids is required reading.
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