Medical Tourism in India

Abstract

India is emerging as one of the favorite destinations for foreign travellers. Several factors have accounted for the emergence of India as a tourist hotspot. One of the reasons which this paper tries to examine is the growth of medical tourism in India. The twin sectors of tourism industry and health industry has vast potential for the generation of foreign exchange and employment opportunities for the country. Medical tourists travel across international borders to obtain health care. Today medical tourism is emerging as a multibillion-dollar industry. It has to be noted here that prime objective of medical tourists is getting good quality medical treatment at a reasonable cost. India has emerged as the most sought after destination by medical tourists because it has availability of world class doctors at affordable prices when compared to other developed countries of the world. Also, India has diversity of tourist destinations in the country. This paper tries to examine the factors leading to the growth and progress of medical tourism in India and the future of this sector in coming years. A detailed analysis of the services provided in India and the cities of India which are emerging as the centers of excellence is also presented. Further comparative cost advantage of India in offering various services vis-à-vis other emerging centers of world is cited. The paper concludes with the policy suggestions to make the fast emerging medical tourism industry grow further.

Keywords: Medical Tourism, Health Care, Tourist Places, Cost Advantage

JEL Classification: I11