Ayurvedic Health Tourism in Kerala: A Case Study on Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier's Ayurveda Sala, Kottakkal

Tourism has expanded largely from a relatively small activity in the early 19th century to one of the largest industries in the world today. It is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and it can play role in accelerating the economic development of the country. Health care, like any other basic needs, is a prime component of humanity. Health Tourism or Medical Tourism is one of the significant components of the Tourism Industry. Health tourism has become a major industry in the recent past. This branch of tourism is the most common type of cost-effectiveness and a chance to take benefits of the tourist attractions of health tourism centers or locations during the recovery time. In India, Kerala is emerging as a prime hub of health tourism for its traditional way of medical practices and is creating a worldwide trademark as ‘The Medical Hub of Asia’. In health tourism, Ayurvedic tourism is the most popular and very much rooted in the tradition and culture of Kerala. Thus the acceptance and recognition of Ayurveda paved the way for the development and widened up the opportunities and scope of this sector. The state is blessed with rich and varied resources and capable of providing different health care packages to tourists from different parts of the world. This study is mainly focusing on the role of Ayurveda in tourism of Kerala and the trend analysis of the tourism sector of the state. Data were collected from various secondary sources. Annual growth rates and percentage method were mainly used for the further analysis.