The official records of the foreign tourist arrival in India for the past few years reveal India’s growth as one of the world’s best medical destinations. The cost-effective medical treatment available in India is preferred by international medical tourists. According to the reports of the Indian Ministry of Tourism, in 2015, India was ranked as the third most popular medical tourism destination with a number of 2,34,000 tourists. By 2017 the number of medical tourists doubled to 4,95,056.
As experts have reported, the cheaper surgical care makes the country a hub for medical tourists. In addition to low-cost treatment, skilled doctors, extensive facilities and the traditional Indian practices of Yoga and Ayurveda add to the growing interest of foreigners to seek Indian medical facilities.
According to the earlier official figures released by the ministry, Indian medical tourism was estimated to grow by 200% in 2020, worth almost $9 billion. Nevertheless, the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns put medical tourism at a standstill.
The gradual recovery of the medical tourism sector with the resumptions of international flights and the arrival of medical tourists reinforces India as the hottest medical tourist destination. The expert reports predict that India will drive higher growth in medical tourism in the coming years.
Several factors contribute to the blooming of the Indian medical tourism sector. Firstly, the cost-effective treatment and the swift adoption of recent medical technologies by Indian healthcare centers have attracted a lot of medical tourists. Indian doctors’ reputation for high-quality medical practice and the availability of skilled surgeons helped the medical tourism sector of India immensely. Secondly, India being a developing nation, the cost of living is relatively less to that of the developed nations. Studies show that cost of living in India is approximately 67% lower than in the US and other western countries. The cost of treatment is also 40% or more, less than that of the costs in any developed country. Thirdly, India, as claimed, is the second-largest English-speaking country, which allows fairly easier communication for medical tourists.
So, medical tourists are assured of personalized care with no language and communication barriers. Moreover, the Indian government has eased the medical visa norms with the introduction of an e-medical visa. Visas are now given in a very short period with less waiting period, which is proving to be a blessing for medical patients and tourists. Also, the medical visa offers multiple entries and long-term stays for medical care.
Above all these advantages for international medical tourists, India is trusted for its traditional Ayurvedic and alternative treatments like Unani, Sidha, and Homeopathy. The foreigners are more into the traditional treatments of India that most of the medical tourism packages include in the combination of healing treatments of Ayurveda, Yoga, acupuncture, herbal oil massages, and natural therapies. Some states in India, like Kerala, are a hub for Ayurvedic and Yoga therapies. With a history of more than five thousand years, Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest treatment practices. Ayurveda’s holistic well-being by reestablishing a connection with nature has become a growing fascination among international medical tourists. Global acceptance and popularity for Yoga originated in India is the other focal point of medical tourists.
These traditional health practices and meditation and India’s fast adaptive nature to the newer medical facilities boost the country’s medical tourism. India, which is always one of the favorite destinations of tourists for its culture, food, and heritage, looks to garner more revenue from tourism with an add-on feature in the medical tourism sector.
