It was during COVID-19 that Ayurveda has been recognised as a serious medicine that can treat COVID-19 patients for a faster recovery. During the health crisis, the Ministry of Ayush promoted Ayurveda for boosting immunity not just in the domestic market but globally as well.
“This is the right time and opportunity for the government and the private stakeholders to jointly take India’s story in Ayurveda to the world,” said Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India while addressing the virtual session ‘Future of Ayurveda Tourism’, organised by FICCI.
“The Ministry of Tourism is creating new promotional material that talks of body, mind and soul where Ayurveda is an integral aspect as an ancient scientific wisdom for holistic healing and rejuvenation. We need to work on creating the right strategic content and market in the right source markets,” she informed.
“The Ministry of Tourism is engaging with the state governments to ease the movement of tourists across states. Discussions with the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs are being organised on the protocols and guidelines for opening up tourism to international tourists,” Brar added.
Dr Manoj Nesari, Adviser (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, said: “The Ministry of AYUSH is focusing on both the products and services for healing & wellness of Ayurveda. Ayurveda products and its services were recognized as essential services so that the industry was allowed to operate even during the lockdown.”
He further said, “The Ministry is coming up with a new scheme called Medical Value Tourism to promote the private sector to establish new greenfield hospitals so that there is a robust infrastructure in other parts of India as well as the eastern region which will be accredited by NABH or other any accreditation agencies to ensure the quality of services and infrastructure provided in the hospitals.”
Sajeev Kurup, Chairman, FICCI Ayurveda Tourism Sub-Committee and Managing Director, Ayurveda Mana Hospitals, said, “To boost Ayurveda Tourism in the domestic market, the interstate movement rules of tourists should be rationalized without any quarantine controls and COVID-19 test certificate conditions.”
“The Ministry of AYUSH is requested that the present NABH accreditation for Ayurveda Hospitals, the guidelines for large medium and small Hospitals to be changed based on the number of rooms. Almost 75% of Ayurveda hospitals and resorts fall in the small category, the existing terms and conditions and the cost involved is high making them difficult to get NABH accreditation,” he added.
