AYURVEDA’S ROLE IN BOOSTING HEALTH TOURISM IN INDIA

Abstract

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems that originated in India. There are so many people in world who experiences Ayurveda for their wellbeing. Ayurveda in Sanskrit means "Knowledge of Life" ( Ayur - lifespan, and Veda-knowledge). The basis of this medical form is solid Indian writings of old, compiled over a 2 century period between 2500 BC and 400 AD, when many experts put down their observations and experiences. In past few years, India has originated as one of the most important hubs for Health Tourism. The country is emerging as a great destination for Health Tourism People from across the world now come to India for Ayurveda, yoga and meditation, that is practiced since centuries. In fact India has fast emerged as a health tourism destination because of these. Since time immemorial, India has been known for its spirituality, religious and yoga tolerance and its secular character. India is internationally renowned for its ancient healing practices and alternative therapies. For more than thousands of years now, we have followed our own indigenous healing systems and medicinal practices such as Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Pranic Healing to name just a few. It is no wonder then that people from all over the world are turning to the Indian sub continent for guidance towards a more spiritually satisfying way of life. Health/Medical tourism is a booming niche tourism market in the tourism industry. This research paper aims to profile the tourists visiting India for Ayurvedic treatment and to identify the key factors responsible for affecting the Ayurveda’s role in Boosting Health tourism. In order to analyse the objectives, the Descriptive Statistics, Factor Analysis and One-way ANOVA were employed and the results revealed that Ayurveda has important role in boosting health tourism in India The present study identifies the perceptions of residents towards the Ayurveda’s role in Present Health tourism status in India.