Disillusion with modern medicine has brought an increase in the awareness levels on alternative and complementary medicine. When conventional medicine fail to control symptoms and the side effects start showing up, people look for treatments that are natural and help them feel more in control.
Yoga centres, ayurvedic spas, naturopathy/wellness centres and energy healing centres are mushrooming along the length and breadth of Asian countries. They are inspiring tourists to embark on feel good trips to engage in wellness activities. These wellness programmes are generally tailored, packaged and marketed to lure the wealthy westerners.
In 2015, India figured among the top 20 spa markets, accounting
for 4,734 spas, providing employment to 55,862, earning revenue of $1.46
billion. People are travelling in huge numbers to tourist destinations seeking
healthcare. Often they prefer to take wellness treatment outside their native
country where the quality of healthcare is high and the cost is significantly
lower. Wellness centres provide numerous options for sight-seeing, touring and
exploring healthy diets.
Wholesome rejuvenation & other benefits
Rejuvenation of mind, body and soul is
possible using alternative therapies. Wellness tourists may be under the
guidance of skilled professionals. They can get personalized attention. They
may save substantially as the cost of treatment in health tourism
destination is much less than that of home country. This provides a chance to
experience a new culture, and an opportunity to participate in stress release
programme. They get to enjoy natural beauty and relaxation during the recovery
period.
The lurking sickness
Not all centres are having the main focus on the wellness of
the participants. If one is sensitive to the energy, it becomes difficult to
stay in that environment even for two days. When all involved in providing
service are totally money centred, it becomes very palpable and suffocating.
When one looks deeply at the attitude of the providers
involved- agents in native country, co-ordinating agents, people who render the
treatments, it is rare to find that all of them are genuine. All the money is
taken in advance and when they find the service not up to the expectation or
not in accordance with what had been promised, there is nothing that can be
done.
The yoga teacher, who is guiding you, may have just got a
crash course certificate and he himself has not yet experienced the benefits of
yoga. There is no way that the person receiving ayurvedic massage can ascertain
that the oils used for massage are genuine or the technique of massage is correct.
I have come across people who didn’t have any health issues and got into problems
after massage. I also happen to see a person canvassing people to join his
meditation session, and his own mind’s restlessness was very evident. Under
his guidance, what calmness and peace of mind one can achieve is anybody’s
guess!
Finally, wellness tourism may give rise to sex tourism,
which may hamper culture of the health tourism destination.
Keep expectations under check
Before embarking on a wellness tourism trip, it is important
to have realistic expectations. Do your home work well and have a reality check
on the background of the wellness centre and the health providers.
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