Ayurveda spas to be graded

The state government plans to introduce classification of Ayurveda resorts to ensure that they offer better quality service to the visitors.

Considering the great potential of health tourism in Kerala, the state government plans to introduce classification of Ayurveda resorts to ensure that they offer better quality service to the visitors.

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Disclosing this in the state Assembly during question hour on Wednesday, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said keeping bogus players out of the field was essential to sustain health tourism in the long-run.

The state was poised for a leap in health tourism expecting to take the number of international tourists coming for treatment to at least one lakh a year.

Health tourists were targetted to be attracted not only from America and Europe but also from Asian and African countries through proper market promotion.

The strategy to achieve the targets were being worked out with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he said.

Big private hospitals in the state had been suggested to earn accredition from National Accreditation Board for Hospitals by creating the parameters set by the agency.

There was also a suggestion that super speciality hospitals should set apart a portion of income received through health tourism for improving the public health system, he said.

Alongwith Ayurveda, schemes would be worked out for promoting naturopathy as part of health tourism, the minister added.