Many years ago I met a gentleman from San Francisco, while we were both lounging around poolside at our Hua Hin condo complex, in Thailand. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that he came to Thailand for some root canal work.
In reply to my initial response that it seemed like a long way to come to see the dentist, he explained that the quality was so good, yet the price so low, that it was less expensive to come to Thailand for a few weeks than doing the work back home. Plus, heck, you get to spend a few weeks in Thailand!
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.
While this might seem like an obvious spin-off of medical tourism, closer examination is more revealing. The wellness tourism trend is in fact a lot older. It's just been a bit off the grid - though not entirely.
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.
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. The themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda run throughout their practices. Though, a couple do also offer spectacular beachside sunsets as well. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
So, next time someone asks you what time it is in India, you can tell them, my friend, the current time in India is wellness time.
In reply to my initial response that it seemed like a long way to come to see the dentist, he explained that the quality was so good, yet the price so low, that it was less expensive to come to Thailand for a few weeks than doing the work back home. Plus, heck, you get to spend a few weeks in Thailand!
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.
While this might seem like an obvious spin-off of medical tourism, closer examination is more revealing. The wellness tourism trend is in fact a lot older. It's just been a bit off the grid - though not entirely.
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.
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. The themes of meditation, yoga and ayurveda run throughout their practices. Though, a couple do also offer spectacular beachside sunsets as well. (Even our favorite, modest little resort town, Varkala in Kerala , boasts a major ayurvedic experience.)
So, next time someone asks you what time it is in India, you can tell them, my friend, the current time in India is wellness time.
About the Author:
When you need to keep tabs on what's happening on the India travel scene, follow us at the Current Time in India blog. Mitchell Jones is an experienced travel writer and old India hand. For those considering international travel with their children, his article on CDC Travel Vaccines and the Joy of Traveling with Your Kids is required reading.
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