Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Holidays with Ayurveda Treatments – A Big Hit

It is estimated that over 5 million trips are taken each year for the specific purpose of tourism for well-being. Furthermore, spa & wellness treatments also form part of trips taken for other purposes. The reason behind this growing trend is the general increase in awareness about the need for a balanced Mind-Body & Soul. The masses have understood that regular and holistic care of their selves is important to escape the mid /long term impact of stress. Preventive healthcare through alternative means therefore is growing in every part of the world. Ayurveda, the over 5000 years old traditional system of holistic-healthcare from India is seemingly one of the most popular and trusted alternative therapy across the world.
There are specialized resorts for Ayurveda retreats across the world, which have contributed significantly in the growth of international Ayurveda tourism.With the change in location come changes in components, duration and charges for treatments. However, the crux of Ayurveda remains intact as this stream of alternative medicine is now formally taught in many universities across the world. Even the assistants are formally trained in all good and high-quality Ayurveda centres. High on the list of preferred destinations for Ayurveda treatments of International tourists are Kerala and New Delhi in India. While Kerala Ayurveda in itself has become synonymous with Ayurveda in India, the northern state of Delhi and other nearby destinations like Haridwar and Rishikesh also have some very well-known centers for Ayurveda treatments.

For the typical traveler on a well-being holiday what matters most is the quality of treatments and of course the staff. Locales play an important role to the extent that one wants to be away from the noisy and polluted atmosphere. It is a well known fact that the retreats in Kerala are mostly away from the noisy cities and many are near the very popular Kerala Backwaters. A wellness oriented traveler generally takes up to a maximum of 2 hours of Ayurveda treatments and spends the rest of the day in Yoga and Meditation, often eating specially recommended food and walking the natural surrounds or boating in the houseboats.


Similarly, the traditional north Indian centers for Ayurveda treatments are in the interiors of green belts in Uttarakhand, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. Delhi Ayurveda centers are more urban in appearance and cater to the global traveler who does not have time to really travel 2 days back and forth for a 2 Night experience at the Ayurveda center. Many 4 star and 5 star properties in North and South India have understood this latent demand and now top-notch professionals cater to the needs of  discerning guests from all over the world. Domestic, city travelers too throng these facilities for beauty, wellness and health treatments. Travelers from US, Latin America & Europe are the most prolific users of these services in North and South of India. The best part is the high percentage of repeat visits for this experience, meaning that the Ayurveda centers do deliver a satisfactory experience. Another factor growing this business in India is the relatively low prices when compared with Ayurveda treatment prices in other parts of the world. The Indian treatment can be 50% or still cheaper than treatments taken at Ayurveda resorts of the same stature in the western world.
Last but not the least, many of the travelers do undertake these trips to India because of the other eclectic experiences and colors of India that can be experienced in one go while the desired level of well-being is achieved. The same applies to domestic and international travelers who visit Wellness resorts the world over. It is holidaying with an eye on the goal of well-being.

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