Published on : Monday, February 18, 2019
By 2020, India’s medical tourism industry is poised to grow by 200%, hitting $9 billion, according to Ministry of Tourism figures. India is trying to make it easier for people to visit for medical reasons. It’s initiating advanced facilities, skilled doctors and low-cost treatment and also traditional practices like yoga and Ayurveda.
“India can provide medical and health care of international standards at low costs,” said Tourism Minister KJ Alphons. He added, “India excels in the state of the art medical facilities, reputed health care professionals, quality nursing facilities and traditional healthcare therapies.”
In 2015, India ranked as the third most popular destination for medical tourism. By 2017, the number of arrivals more than doubled to 495,056.
Visa rules have also been changed to encourage applications.
“The e-tourist visa regime has been expanded to include medical visits as well. Medical and medical attendant visas have been introduced to ease the travel process of medical tourists. The maximum duration of stay in India under the e-medical visa is a longer duration of six months,” added Alphons.
Besides India, other leading destinations include Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the United States.
Tags: medical tourism