It was some years ago, when I was living in Hua Hin, Thailand, that I met a fellow from San Francisco lounging around poolside at our condo complex. An elderly gentleman, he told me he was in Thailand to have dental work done.
My mischievous retort, it seemed like a long way to go to get to the dentist, was answered with the observation that the quality of the service was so high, yet the price so low, it was actually more economical for him to travel to Thailand for a few weeks than have his dental work done at home. And that was saying nothing of the perk of three weeks sitting by the pool in Hua Hin!
Afterward, I looked into the matter and discovered that even at that time there was a growing business of people coming to Thailand precisely for medical purposes. Since then the medical tourism business has taken off. And a lot more destinations have joined the ranks of preferred medical havens. A friend recently spent a couple weeks in Mexico to get his dental work done.
In the wake of this medical tourism boom, there seems to be now a more general wellness tourism boom. You might think of it as the preventative cure form of travel.
Though, at first blush, these developments could seem to be a logical outgrowth of medical tourism, closer consideration reveals the matter is a little more complicated than that. In fact, it turns out that wellness tourism is a whole heck of a lot older than medical tourism. It's just been a bit more off on the backstreets - though not always.
Readers who are old enough might cast their minds way back to the 1960s: at that time, there was in fact an international India-craze. It was sparked by the well publicized journey of global rock band sensation, the Beatles, to India, seeking spiritual enlightenment and mastery of the techniques of meditation. So, what's happening today isn't an entirely unprecedented event. There is no doubt, though, again, today, the current time in India is wellness time!
The combination of meditation, yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, have driven the world wide trend toward wellness oriented practices, in general, and India specifically. Even societies with no history of such traditions have seen notable uptakes in such practices. However new they may be anywhere else, though, such practices are firmly established, in some cases ancient, Indian traditions.
Unsurprisingly, then, India has been a major player in these developments. Indeed, it is the fastest growing wellness travel destination in the world. India's current projected growth in the industry is 22 percent annually. Interestingly, the United States is the current leader in wellness tourism, but its annual growth rate is below 6 percent. India would seem to be the up-and-comer in the emerging wellness travel business.
For a very long time, Indian spiritual retreats and spas, ashrams and gurus (a word which just means teacher) have attracted all manner of hippies and alternate lifestyle types. But, as awareness of wellness as a central factor in a long, healthy and enjoyable life has grown among people all over the world, India's secrets have gone mainstream.
Top destinations for the Indian industry include SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. Themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda animate the wellness programs at these various locations. And a couple provide the perk of spectacular sunsets on the beach. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
If you want to know what time it is in India, be assured, the current time in India is definitely wellness time.
My mischievous retort, it seemed like a long way to go to get to the dentist, was answered with the observation that the quality of the service was so high, yet the price so low, it was actually more economical for him to travel to Thailand for a few weeks than have his dental work done at home. And that was saying nothing of the perk of three weeks sitting by the pool in Hua Hin!
Afterward, I looked into the matter and discovered that even at that time there was a growing business of people coming to Thailand precisely for medical purposes. Since then the medical tourism business has taken off. And a lot more destinations have joined the ranks of preferred medical havens. A friend recently spent a couple weeks in Mexico to get his dental work done.
In the wake of this medical tourism boom, there seems to be now a more general wellness tourism boom. You might think of it as the preventative cure form of travel.
Though, at first blush, these developments could seem to be a logical outgrowth of medical tourism, closer consideration reveals the matter is a little more complicated than that. In fact, it turns out that wellness tourism is a whole heck of a lot older than medical tourism. It's just been a bit more off on the backstreets - though not always.
Readers who are old enough might cast their minds way back to the 1960s: at that time, there was in fact an international India-craze. It was sparked by the well publicized journey of global rock band sensation, the Beatles, to India, seeking spiritual enlightenment and mastery of the techniques of meditation. So, what's happening today isn't an entirely unprecedented event. There is no doubt, though, again, today, the current time in India is wellness time!
The combination of meditation, yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, have driven the world wide trend toward wellness oriented practices, in general, and India specifically. Even societies with no history of such traditions have seen notable uptakes in such practices. However new they may be anywhere else, though, such practices are firmly established, in some cases ancient, Indian traditions.
Unsurprisingly, then, India has been a major player in these developments. Indeed, it is the fastest growing wellness travel destination in the world. India's current projected growth in the industry is 22 percent annually. Interestingly, the United States is the current leader in wellness tourism, but its annual growth rate is below 6 percent. India would seem to be the up-and-comer in the emerging wellness travel business.
For a very long time, Indian spiritual retreats and spas, ashrams and gurus (a word which just means teacher) have attracted all manner of hippies and alternate lifestyle types. But, as awareness of wellness as a central factor in a long, healthy and enjoyable life has grown among people all over the world, India's secrets have gone mainstream.
Top destinations for the Indian industry include SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. Themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda animate the wellness programs at these various locations. And a couple provide the perk of spectacular sunsets on the beach. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
If you want to know what time it is in India, be assured, the current time in India is definitely wellness time.
About the Author:
If you want to keep up on what's happening on the India travel scene, follow us at the Current Time in India blog. Mitchell Jones is a top travel writer and old India hand. For those considering international travel with their kids, his piece on CDC Travel Vaccines and the Joy of Traveling with Your Kids is required reading.
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