According to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism Mr. K. J. Alphons, the Union Ministry offers financial support as Marketing Development Assistance for Publicity and for organizing Wellness and Medical Tourism Promotion shows as well as workshops/events/seminars to accredited Medical and Wellness Tourism Service Providers and Chambers of Commerce, etc. A film on Medical Tourism has been produced in association with BBC and is used at various fora for promotional purposes; Medical and Medical attendant visa have been introduced to streamline and ease the travel process of Medical Tourists.
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The e-tourist visa regime has also been expanded to include medical visits. Steps are afoot to set up facilitation counters at the major airports of Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Foreign tourists rallying for healthcare The Board works as an umbrella organization to promote this segment of tourism in an organized manner. The Board has formed Sub-Committees on visa issues, accreditation, standards, marketing, and promotion. The Ministry of Tourism collates data regarding the arrivals on Medical and Medical Attendant visas provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In 2014, Foreign Tourists Arrivals (FTAs) recorded were: 1,84,298 (2014); 2,33,918 (2015); 4,27,014 (2016). Mumbai and for tourists arriving on Medical Visas.
Apart from the above, the Department of Commerce and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) has launched a Healthcare Portal www.indiahealthcaretourism.com in Arabic, English, French, Russian and other languages as a single source platform providing comprehensive information to medical travelers on the top healthcare institutions in the country.
A National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has also been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Tourism to provide a dedicated institutional framework to take forward the cause of promotion of Medical and Wellness Tourism including Ayurveda and any other format of Indian system of medicine covered by Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).
The Board has members from the Ministries of Health, Commerce, External Affairs, AYUSH, Home Affairs, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) as well as representatives from the major chambers of commerce, hospitals and independent experts in the field of Medicine and Wellness.
The Board works as an umbrella organization to promote this segment of tourism in an organized manner. The Board has formed Sub-Committees on visa issues, accreditation, standards, marketing, and promotion. The Ministry of Tourism collates data regarding the arrivals on Medical and Medical Attendant visas provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In 2014, Foreign Tourists Arrivals (FTAs) recorded were: 1,84,298 (2014); 2,33,918 (2015); 4,27,014 (2016).
