Tourism Board

The travel and tourism industry, one of the first industries that witnessed the immediate effects of the global recession last year, is finally reviving. Not only is the country back on the international traveller’s list of favourite holiday destinations, but inbound travel too has witnessed an upswing. Though the tourism department has tightened the visa norms in wake of the recent terrorist attacks in the country, inbound, outbound as well as corporate travel in the country has seen a positive uptrend recently. The global travel and tourism industry is one of the most sensitive industries to external issues ranging from economic downturns to natural disasters and terrorist attacks, it is also one of the most resilient industries. The long-term potential of the Indian travel and tourism industry remains strong, and the short-term outlook is positive.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a global forum for business leaders in the travel and tourism industry, the industry employs approximately 220 million people and generates over 9.4% of world GDP. The contribution of this sector to the employment statistics in India is expected to rise from 49,086,000 jobs in 2010 to 58,141,000 jobs by 2020.

The industry proffers employment opportunities in the public as well as private sector. Aspirants keen on pursuing options in the public sector can look to work with various state tourism boards or the central tourism department at various levels. Karan Anand, head, relationships and supplier management, Cox and Kings India Ltd, elaborates, “In the public sector, aspirants can work as tourism officers, information assistants, tourist guides and ground staff.

The private sector, which continues to expand with the rising participation of foreign companies in the country, offers various employment options. Qualified professionals are engaged in travel agencies, travel companies/ tour operating companies, airlines, hotels and cargo companies.

Originally published here.

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India as a medical tourism destination

The Indian Government is taking serious initiatives in this regards and plans to start overseas marketing of India as a medical tourism destination. The Medical tourism is a term coined which covers patients traveling across the globe for tourism purposes clubbing their requirements for treatment of acute illness, elective surgeries such as cardiology, hip replacement, knee replacement,etc. government of India is of the opinion that by marketing India as a global market, it could capitalize on the low-cost, high-quality medical care available in the country. India, touted as one of the favourite destinations for information technology majors, is currently emerging as the chosen destination for medical or health tourism. The Government of India, State tourism boards, travel agents, tour operators, hotel companies and private sector hospitals are exploring the medical tourism industry for tremendous opportunities. They are seeking to capitalise on the opportunities by combining the country’s popular leisure tourism with medical tourism. Industry projections?

Statistics estimate that the medical tourism industry in India is currently worth $333 million (Rs 1,500 crore) while a study by CII-McKinsey estimates that the country could well earn Rs 5,000-10,000 crore by the year 2012. The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annualised rate of 30 percent, caters to patients chiefly from the US, Europe and Africa. Although in its nascent stage, the industry is outpacing similar industries of other countries such as Greece, South Africa, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. In the year 2004, Approx 1,50,000 medical tourists have visited India. What makes it so attractive?

Primary is the cost factor. The medical costs in India are a fraction of the costs in the US/Europe. For instance, a heart surgery costs $6,000 in India as against $30,000 in the US. Similarly, a bone marrow transplant costs $26,000 in India as compared to $2,50,000 in the US. Foreign patients throng Indian hospitals to pass up the long waiting lists and queues in their native countries. The NHS patients in UK have to wait for months for Hip/Knee replacements surgery. Indian hospitals provide immediate attention to patients rather than asking them to wait for several months like in most western countries. India’s top notch private hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Max HealthCare have gained international recognition for their state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic centers besides unsurpassed technical skills. Their technology and procedures are state of the art and on par with hospitals in developed nations. Foreign patients can get attractive package deals including flights, transfers, hotels, treatment and post-operative vacation for their medical visits to India. India has some world class SPAs and Ayurvedic facilities which help recuperation and healing. Some Top India Hospitals Include Apollo, Fortis, Max Healthcare, Escorts, AIIMs, Wockhardt, etc. A few good Medical tourism providers are MedicalSingapore, ThaiMediHealth and Indiaheals.com . With time more and more visitors will flock to this part of the globe for their treatment and relaxation needs.

Originally published here.

Sunita Joshi, freelance writer. Post graduate in Economics. For more help with medical queries visit :http://www.india4health.com/tourism.html to know about the Tourism Travel Packages in India orhttp://www.india4health.com/asiahealth/Enquiry.html to Send your medical query for free or http://www.indiaheals.com/Terms1.html to contact the IndiaHeals terms

The Government is taking serious initiatives in this regards and plans to start overseas marketing of India as a medical tourism

destination. The Medical tourism is a term coined which covers patients travelling across the globe for tourism purposes clubbing their requirements for treatment of acute illness, elective surgeries such as cardiology, hip replacement, knee replacement,etc. government of India is of the opinion that by marketing

India as a global medical tourism destination, it could capitalise on the low-cost, high-quality medical care available in the country. India, touted as one of the favourite destinations for information technology majors, is currently emerging as the chosen destination for medical or health tourism. The Government of India, State tourism boards, travel agents, tour operators, hotel companies and private sector hospitals are exploring the medical tourism industry for tremendous opportunities. They are seeking to capitalise on the opportunities by combining the country’s popular leisure tourism with medical tourism.

Industry projections? Statistics estimate that the medical tourism industry in India is currently worth $333 million (Rs 1,500 crore) while a study by CII-McKinsey estimates that the country could well earn Rs 5,000-10,000 crore by the year 2012. The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annualised rate of 30 percent, caters to patients chiefly from the US, Europe and Africa. Although in its nascent stage, the industry is outpacing similar industries of other countries such as Greece, South Africa, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. In the year 2004, Approx 1,50,000 medical tourists have visited India.

What makes it so attractive? Primary is the cost factor. The medical costs in India are a fraction of the costs in the US/Europe. For instance, a heart surgery costs $6,000 in India as against $30,000 in the US. Similarly, a bone marrow transplant costs $26,000 in India as compared to $2,50,000 in the US. Foreign patients throng Indian hospitals to pass up the long waiting lists and queues in their native countries. The NHS patients in UK have to wait for months for Hip/Knee replacements surgery. Indian hospitals provide immediate attention to patients rather than asking them to wait for several months like in most western countries.

India’s top notch private hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Max HealthCare have gained international recognition for their state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic centres besides unsurpassed technical skills. Their technology and procedures are state of the art and on par with hospitals in developed nations. Foreign patients can get attractive package deals including flights, transfers, hotels, treatment and post-operative vacation for their medical visits to India. India has some world class SPAs and Ayurvedic facilities which help recuperation and healing.

Some Top India Hospitals Include Apollo, Fortis, Max Healthcare, Escorts, AIIMs, Wockhardt, etc. A few good Medical tourism providers are TaMedical.com, India4health.com, Mediscapes.com and Indiaheals.com.

With time more and more visitors will flock to this part of the globe for their treatment and relaxtion needs.

Originally published here.