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.
It seems that this popular tourism boom trend has seen an offshoot in what is being called the wellness tourism business. As one rascal put it to me, think of it as the preventative care form of medical tourism.
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!
Wellness practices such as meditation, yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector, and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, even in cultures historically foreign to such practices, have been the drivers of the new wellness travel boom. Such practices are part of well established, and in some cases ancient, Indian wellness 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.
Among the top destinations for wellness travel in India are SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. These and all the other Indian hot-spots have meditation, yoga and ayurveda central to their wellness practices. Don't discount, the fact, additionally, that a few also provide spectacular beachside sunsets. (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.
It seems that this popular tourism boom trend has seen an offshoot in what is being called the wellness tourism business. As one rascal put it to me, think of it as the preventative care form of medical tourism.
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!
Wellness practices such as meditation, yoga, a thriving homeopathy sector, and specialized healthy diets, such as ayurveda, even in cultures historically foreign to such practices, have been the drivers of the new wellness travel boom. Such practices are part of well established, and in some cases ancient, Indian wellness 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.
Among the top destinations for wellness travel in India are SwaSwara of Gokarna, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Center in Goa, and the Shreyas Yoga Retreat in Bangalore. These and all the other Indian hot-spots have meditation, yoga and ayurveda central to their wellness practices. Don't discount, the fact, additionally, that a few also provide spectacular beachside sunsets. (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:
When you need to keep tabs on what's happening on the India travel scene, check us out at the Current Time in India blog. Mitchell Jones is an experienced travel writer and old India hand. For those considering exotic travel with their children, his piece on CDC Travel Vaccines and the Joy of Traveling with Your Kids is a must read.
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