Traditional Medical Practices and Information Technology A Study on Customer Relationship Management in Ayurveda Tourism

Abstract

Many societies have unique traditions, culture, knowledge and skills that have attracted the interest of international tourists. In India, traditional medicine developed over many centuries and has attracted a growing number of visitors seeking alternatives to Western medicine. Ayurveda is one such holistic medicine system and in recent years this form of traditional medicine has been promoted as a unique selling proposition (USP) by Kerala, a tiny strip of beautiful land in the southern part of India. The Ayurvedic system of treatment demands either long term or repeated treatment at periodic intervals to maintain the patient's health and vitality. To overcome the need for regular physical consultations between patient and practitioners, the Internet has been harnessed to bridge physical distance by using the much shorter cyber distance. In this way, Ayurvedic practitioners in Kerala have been able to bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern with a form of tourism that uses both physical and cyber-travel. This paper uses a Delphi study to establish whether it is possible to reach a consensus by experts on issues related to customer relationship management (CRM) in Ayurveda tourism in the cyber age.