Authorities step up regulation of wellness operators

With the number of wellness tourists arriving in the country on the rise, the government is taking steps to regulate the niche industry and protect the reputation of health tourism in the country.

As arrivals increase year on year, as are the number of tourists opting for medical or health treatment, rising to 2.7% of arrivals in 2010.

“In order to address the issue concerning the mushrooming of wellness centres, the guidelines for accreditation of wellness centres have been developed by National Board for Accreditation of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) in consultation with the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH),” said the Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed.

“A series of sensitisation workshops are being held across the country to sensitise the wellness centres about the importance of the accreditation mechanism and the various promotional efforts of the Ministry of Tourism,” he added.

“In addition, the steps taken by the Government to promote medical health tourism include promotion in overseas markets through road shows, participation in travel marts, and production of brochures, CDs, films and other publicity material.”

By Mark Elliott, 20 August 2012, Monday 3:02 AM