NEW DELHI, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government mulls over setting up centers of yoga and traditional medicine systems, including Ayurveda, in hotels run by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the federal tourism ministry.
Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine originated in India more than 3,000 years ago.
In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Monday between the Ministry of AYUSH and the ITDC. The aim is to work together for the promotion of Medical Value Travel (MVT) in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
The Ministry of AYUSH was set up in 2014. It deals with as many as six systems of medicine prevalent and practiced in India, namely Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
According to the MoU, the Ministry of AYUSH will provide training to ITDC officials to sensitize them about the medical value travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine. It will identify tourist circuits, where there is immense scope to promote the MVT in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine and provide all the technical knowhow from time to time to the ITDC.
"On the suggestion of the Ministry of AYUSH, the ITDC will include historical heritage sites of Indian systems of medicine in tourist destinations under knowledge tourism, and may develop films/literature useful for tourists. It will explore establishing Ayurveda and yoga centers in hotels run by the ITDC and will organize sensitization workshops in collaboration," said an official statement issued by the ministry.
The MVT has seen significant growth in India in recent years. According to the report "The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID" by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Wellness economy will grow at 9.9 percent annually. The AYUSH-based healthcare and wellness economy is estimated to grow to 70 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, the statement said. ■