Category Archives: Reports,Features, Statistics

High end tourists looking at Sri Lanka’s Ayurveda

SriLankaCT27may2014
Sri Lanka’s Ayurveda healthcare is garnering the attention of high end tourist market. “Lately, the Japanese travel sector has shown stronger interest in Sri Lanka’s Ayurveda tourism. Last week a Japanese Member of Parliament touring Sri Lanka also has expressed of Japan’s interest in Sri Lanka’s Ayurvedic care for Japanese medical tourists” revealed  Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) on 16 May.
Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the simultaneous launch event of AROGYA 2014 and INTRAD 2014 at BMICH on 16 May. The twin expo is scheduled to continue through 18th May. The AROGYA series of exhibitions were introduced by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Ministry of Health and features indigenous medicinal products and services. As for INTRAD, this year’s is the eighth in the INTRAD series. Attending the twin expo were delegations and participants from Vietnam, Thailand, India, Maldives and China. Also present on the occasion were Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Deputy Minister of Health Lalith Dissanayake, and Sunil Wijesinha (President National Chamber of Commerce) as well as representatives from the diplomatic community in Colombo. This is the first time that the twin events are held at once.
Since the end of conflict in 2009, Japanese tourists to Sri Lanka have doubled. In 2013, more than 31,500 Japanese tourists visited Sri Lanka. In the same year, Japan ranked 11th in arrivals to Sri Lanka as per tourists’ country of residence, immediately below USA, which ranked 10th.
“Already a Sri Lankan Ayurveda product brand has earned global reputation with its treatment centres being located in Europe. Today’s Arogya also takes place along with good news for this industry. I am given to understand that Japanese travel sector has shown stronger interest in Sri Lanka’s Ayurveda tourism. Last week a Japanese Member of Parliament touring Sri Lanka also has expressed of Japan’s interest in Sri Lanka’s Ayurvedic care for Japanese medical tourists.
Our tourism sector reported more than 1.2 million arrivals in 2013. I wish to commend the Economic Development Minister  Basil Rajapaksa for this growth” said Minister Bathiudeen and added: “Since medical tourism is at the middle of several sectors such as tourism, healthcare and inbound travel packaging, we believe that Public Private Partnerships are a good way to strengthen this promising sector so that our government’s goals in tourism related hub synergies are leveraged well. These twin events have been, gaining gradual recognition, among our business community, as successful networking events, in Colombo.  With only a per capita healthcare expenditure of $ 175, at first Sri Lanka does not appear to have an advanced healthcare infrastructure similar to the developed countries. However, this does not show us the full picture. Due to the support of well-trained, high quality healthcare professionals we are witnessing the emergence of a new sector-that is medical tourism. Studies show that around 15% of patients in Sri Lanka are foreign patients, such as from Maldives.
“I am pleased to say that two healthcare companies already have active programs for foreign medical tourists. In fact the Export Development Board under my Ministry, which is also partnering for INTRAD and Arogya, believes that medical tourism is a promising service sector to drive our foreign exchange earnings. Developing a strong identity in medical tourism in western and Ayurveda can result in a special tourism brand for Sri Lanka in the long term. I am given to understand that INTRAD is a wide ranging exhibition including industries, imports and even exports. As the Minister in charge of exports I commend your efforts to promote our exports through this series. In fact I am pleased to share the good news with you on our exports.
“In that, the encouraging news is that we have identified 16% provisional export growth in the first quarter of this year from January to March, compared to last year’s January-March exports. Accordingly this year’s first quarter provisional exports totalled $ 2.80 Bn while the comparative 2013 first quarter total exports stood at $ 2.36 Bn, showing a 15.7% quarterly growth. This year’s first quarter provisional export growths is led by fisheries, agricultural and industrial exports. The increase in provisional exports only for the month of March this year is a strong 27% from February exports. This year’s March only exports totalled to a record $ 1.06 Bn. These strong growth rates are reported at a time when we target national exports goal of $ 20 Bn by 2020 under the committed vision of  President Mahinda Rajapaksa.} Minister Bathiudeen said.
Several international participants at the expo expressed that for them, Sri Lanka is a new opening. “Coming here from Vietnam for the first time, we did not know that Sri Lanka market has big such potential for our line of products” said Le Viet Anh (Business Director of Alpha International Food JSC) based in Yen Phong, Vietnam. “We have now decided to find and set up an authorised agent in Colombo to represent us. We are interested in potential joint ventures at distribution level here for our health confectionaries, which are based on tropical fruits.” Business Director Anh’s Alpha International Food is a top confectionary producer in Vietnam reporting annual revenues exceeding US $ 80 Mn.
source: http://www.news.lk / News.Lk / Home> News> Latest – Defence / May 18th, 2014

Nigeria : Orji has made Medical Tourism attractive in Abia says Okechukwu Ogar

NigeriaCT25may2014
Okechukwu Samuel Ogar Abia State Commissioner for Health and eminent Consultant Cardiologist has been the driving force behind Governor Theodore Orji’s quest in turning Abia state to a medical tourist destination. Ogar took time off his busy schedule to explain to Emma Ugwu how the Jewish business philosophy of minimum inputs and maximum returns has offered the citizens of the state a healthcare sector that gives cause for cheer
What were the challenges on your assumption of office?
I was first appointed Commissioner for Health September 2010 prior to my position as Consultant Cardiologist at the University College Hospital (UCH).  I had left the shores of Abia 17 years earlier on this journey and it was good coming home to serve. On assumption of office, I realised the problems on ground in the health sector were not peculiar to the state. However, on a comparative note, we had an edge over many other states considering our good network of hospitals inclusive of our teaching hospital  and a Federal Medical Centre. The game plan was to exploit this advantage and use it as a spring board for evolving a 21stcentury medical tourism state; our template included locating a General Hospital that would meet the national standard in each LGA with primary health care clinics in the 291 political wards in tandem with the national health policy, a target we have long exceeded.
Orji’s MDG Programme
His Excellency Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji used the MDG programme to put in place over 200 health care centres.  An Indian company Me-Cure Diagnostics, in a PPP project with the state government built a Specialist Hospital in Umuahia equipped with CTI, MRI, Digital Radiography and laboratory facilities as well as the Teaching Hospital in Aba. The emphasis has always been to develop ultra-modern diagnostic centres in the state capital and the commercial town of Aba commissioned last July by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu. The centre in Umuahia now has a dialysis sector for patients with renal problems and conducts medical tests of various magnitudes for a varied number of complex ailments.
The problem at inception was expectedly one of infrastructure decay, some of the hospitals were there before the war and some came on stream in the 1970s, all in different states of decadence. The primary health centres even after being equipped needed to be populated with well trained medical personnel.  The General Hospitals were also suffering from inadequate distribution of manpower especially in the hinterland. By and large, we have provided the relevant medical facilities and the progression continues
 
What did you do?
We started with the renovation of existing secondary health care facilities before proceeding with the primary health sector at the LGAs as a complement to the efforts of the Federal Government. The strategy was one of revival, renovation, expansion and re-designation beginning with the Amachara General Hospital, then the Ohafia General Hospital, a strategic hospital in the South of Abia, down to other general hospitals. We had hospitals for mother/child aimed at reducing mother and child mortality rate while setting up a best practice immunisation structure, encouragement of breast-feeding, provision of adequate nutrition, clean water, basic sanitation, oral de-hydration therapy and family planning with Aba taking the lead. Our aim is to ensure access to appropriate and quality healthcare services to children at all levels.
Still in the area of primary health, over 200 health centres, have been built across 17 LGAs. Many of them have been furnished while others are yet to be fully equipped.
The Government has also upgraded the Amachara General Hospital in Umuahia to a specialist hospital with corresponding facilities. Chevron in partnership with other oil firms- FAMFA, Statoil and Petrobras built an ultra modern Chest Clinic inside the premises fitted with state-of-the-art facilities and has since opened to the public.
We have also embarked on the construction of eight 100-bed hospitals in nine LGAs including Arochukwu, Okeikpe, Ohafia, Umuahia, Ikwuano, Aba, covering the three senatorial districts just as the emphasis on training and personnel build up has necessitated the construction of a big lecture theatre at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) to accommodate more medical students.  There are two tertiary hospitals, the Federal Medical Center in Umuahia and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, which serve as referral hospitals in the state.
As His Excellency Governor Theodore Orji stated in his 2014 budget address, Government is committed to ensuring quality health delivery to the citizenry and this is because we are already aware of the critical health concerns and targets in the MDG goals. Based on these, the emphasis is to sustain efforts in equipment procurement, renovation and upgrading of some of the healthcare institutions in the state through the on-going transformation of structures in the health sector.
Renovation work of the Abia is also on ground for the School of Nursing/Midwifery, Aba General Hospital, and the General Hospital/Leprosy Centre in Uzuakoli. We have also completed action on the process for commencement of Abia State Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme which ensures growth in the general well-being of our citizens is aimed at the improvement in the quality of lives of the people.
How about funding?
It has all along been a very expensive business but we had to go ahead with it and this also meant our over 250 health centres needed the right staff with the right salary package comparable with what was obtainable at the federal government level, and adequately distributed across the states. The idea was to put a plug at migration to federal medical centres. The game plan turned out to be a resounding success.
Have you reduced the traffic for referral cases abroad?
There are illnesses which need genuine treatment abroad primarily because there are no options for such treatments and this has always milked the government to the extent that malaria treatment overseas attracted estacode until government at the centre put a stop to this excessive medical tourism. Here in Abia, our medical facilities have been so upgraded that we have minimum consideration for overseas sponsorships like heart related diseases requiring a by-pass.  At least over 80 percent of complex cases have no reason to be treated abroad.  Cases like high blood pressure, cataract, exhaustion et al can be handled here. Healthcare provision is an expensive business but must be provided and that is what the Theodore Orji administration has been able to do for the people of Abia State these past five years because he knows not everyone will have the opportunity to be flown abroad. I must say medical tourism outside the shores of the country is not healthy for us as a people.
The other aspect the governor has invested so much on is in drug administration and dispensation. We early in the day established a central drug store located in Umuahia with some partnership coming from Neimeth and Emzor, an arrangement that allows them to store their drugs here while the hospital management buys from them on behalf of the ministry, minimising the incidence of fake drugs with a constant tab by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria.
What is the state of your Infectious Diseases Hospital?
The extent of the health and medical revolution here is such that there is hardly a case of leprosy on record. We have also successfully combated cholera outbreak in some parts of the state especially in the north most prominently Aba, where water-borne diseases could have created such an epidemic. The war against non-communicable diseases was brought to the fore by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which identified it as a global issue and this included hypertension, chronic lung diseases, diabetes and risk factors. In Abia we did a survey of non-communicable diseases and how to tackle each case. We have a boundary with six states in the South east and Aba being a thriving commercial city in the sub-region of West Africa, is paying the price of HIV/AIDS epidemic, which over the years under Governor Orji has been drastically reduced through the State Action Committee on Aids (SACA), which is directly supervised by the office of His Excellency. We keep educating the people through churches, the electronic media and women programmes on the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
We have remained faithful in the payment of all the counterpart funds that concern the HIV/AIDS programme that is run in the state and for other health agencies that have anything to do with AIDS.
How are you executing your health enlightenment campaigns?
Each LGA has a health education unit where all the environmental health offices have been strengthened with experienced and dedicated health workers and the emphasis here is on health education and sanitation. Of course we have also invested resources on research with a road map whose emphasis is on secondary health care while strengthening our primary, tertiary health sector.  In Abia 60 percent of healthcare facilities is owned by private individuals in partnership with the state government. The partnership arrangement extends to such global institutions as the WHO, UNICEF, IPEAS, Society for Family Healthcare, all providing assistance for our primary health care programmes and the rehabilitation of our health systems
How has this impacted positively on citizens?
I was called to service and the mission has been to develop a strong, healthcare system where quality and efficiency is the watchword. I can tell you that here in Abia, the people can go and get what they want, not necessarily in terms of free medical care but an effective, efficient and affordable service to the people.
source: http://www.codewit.com / Codewit World News / Home> News> Nigeria News / by Agency Reporter / May 10th, 2014

Relax to the max in Latin America with wellness tourism on the rise

WellnessCT24may2014

Latin America is set to steam ahead in the coming years with its share of the ‘wellness’ tourism industry, according to new figures released by the Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC), part of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

The figures, from the ‘Global Wellness Tourism Economy Report’ which monitors the growth of this increasing sector, reveal that Latin America (a region that covers Mexico/the Caribbean and Central and South America) is on the up, with a notable 13.4% annual growth predicted until 2017. These figures put Latin America behind only the Middle East in terms of wellness tourism growth, outperforming the long-established regions of the US and Germany, on track to record just 5% annual growth, as well as the predicted global average of 9.9%.

Wellness tourism is described as ‘all travel associated with enhancing one´s personal well-being’ and can encompass aspects such as spas, retreats, fitness facilities, yoga and beauty. It is a large part of the travel industry, currently taking up one in every seven tourist dollars, and sure to be a sector to watch for continued future growth as people work longer hours and focus their free time increasingly on relaxation and rejuvenation.

Taking Latin America’s market share to a predicted $42billion, one resort that is certain to enhance this figure is The Baymen Resort and Spa in the Cayo region of Belize. This luxurious rainforest resort has ‘wellness’ at its heart and features a sumptuous spa with infinity pool and hot tub, fed by stunning natural Maya spring pools and waterfall.

The Baymen’s eco-credentials are also central to its feeling of wellbeing, with the majority of the lodge sitting amongst the rainforest canopy, and an infinity pool that appears to float like a tablet of water suspended in mid-air, allowing guests to feel as though they are truly part of nature, making it easy to unwind.

Wolf Worster, MD of Wolf Wörster Associates, Inc, the global property consultancy specialising in the sale and rental of ultra-luxury villas in some of the world’s most sought-after locations, who are marketing The Baymen, explains,

“With the everyday stresses of modern life getting increasingly intense, it is no surprise that wellness tourism is on the up and with a great deal to offer the discerning traveller searching for true relaxation, it is easy to see why Latin America’s slice of this market is growing too. Belize is one location that is rich in ‘wellness’ attributes – a warm and sunny climate, a wealth of natural features, amazing wildlife – and it is these factors combined with the development’s focus on luxurious relaxation and revitalisation that make The Baymen the perfect wellness retreat.”

With a choice of deluxe suites or two-bed suites available, each individual residence encompasses the notion of old world colonial charm, with four-poster beds, the highest quality finishes, stunning bathrooms with indoor and outdoor shower areas, and a large outside deck, all utilising natural materials of the highest specification.

Investing in a property at The Baymen provides above-average potential to benefit from the growing wellness tourism market, but also the opportunity to use the hotel, or Belize Ocean Club (one of the other properties in the Wolf Wörster Associates, Inc collection) for 30 days personal use annually.

To find out more about The Baymen Lodge and Spa, visit thebaymen.com.

To discover Belize Ocean Club, which is part of the 30 days personal use, visit belizeoceanclub.com.

source: http://www.easier.com / Easier Property / Home> Property Overseas / May 13th, 2014

Slovenia gets yet another ayurveda centre

In yet another boost to the increasing popularity of the Indian alternative medicinal system, the tiny Central European republic of Slovenia got its fourth ayurveda centre in the picturesque town of Bled.

The inaugural ceremony Tuesday included a Bhartnatyam recital by two Slovenian dancers who performed a Thillana, Pushpanjali and Ganesha Vandana in natural surroundings overlooking Lake Bled. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries of Slovenia, India’s Ambassador to Slovenia, Sarvajit Chakravarti, and a number of other international guests, according to an Indian embassy statement.

Following the recital, those attending the event were given a guided tour of the new ayurveda treatment facility.

Overlooking the beautiful Lake Bled that is surrounded by the snow-clad Alps, including Slovenia’s national peak Triglav, the ayurveda centre is a collaborative enterprise of Ayur Ashram of Dharwad in the south Indian state of Karnataka and the Kompas Hotel in Bled.

India’s Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) has provided information support to the centre.

Treatment will be provided under the supervision of Indian-origin Slovenian Vaidya Samo Safic Gupta, president of the ayurveda section of the Association of Integrative Medicine of Slovenia, which promotes the use of traditional medicine and alternative therapies.

Ayurveda and yoga are highly respected and widely popular in this Balkan nation of two million people. Slovenia already had three ayurveda centres staffed by qualified Indian ayurvedic practitioners and therapists at capital Ljubljana, Portoroz and Lasko.

The University of Primorska at Koper organised a World Congress of Ayurveda in 2009 and is now working on creating a chair of AYUSH with support from the Slovenian government and AYUSH in India.

Many Ayurvedic texts have been translated into Slovenian. Ayurvedic herbal products are quite easily available here.

The launch of an ayurveda centre in Bled, which annually hosts the Bled Strategic Forum and has initiated the Bled Film Festival, is expected to boost awareness of ayurveda and its efficacy more widely across the world, as the little town hosts dignitaries and travellers from over a hundred nations every year.

Indian dignitaries have frequently participated in the annual Bled Strategic Forum, a platform for high-level strategic dialogue among leaders from the private and public sectors on key issues facing Europe and the world in the 21st century.

Former Indian prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi visited Bled several times.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Health-Medicine / by IANS / Ljubljana – May 07th, 2014

Middle East/North Africa is the Fastest Growing Wellness Tourism Market in the World, at 16% Annually

New Global Wellness Tourism Congress research: Middle East/North Africa market to more than triple by 2017; Sub-Saharan Africa will see strong 12.6% growth; UAE #1 growth leader across entire region.

New York, NY :

The Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC), a division of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), today released new data on the Middle East and African wellness tourism markets at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) being held in Dubai. The research, undertaken by SRI International for the GWTC, reveals that although the region is currently the smallest global wellness travel market, it will be the world growth leader through 2017.

The report analyzed the Middle East/North African and Sub-Saharan African markets separately, and found that the former ranks #1 in the world for wellness tourism growth (16.2% annually), expanding the market from $5.3 billion USD in 2012 to $16.6 billion USD in 2017. And Sub-Saharan Africa will also see an impressive 12.6% annual growth, driving that market from $2 billion USD in 2012 to $5.07 billion by 2017.

South Africa is the current pan-regional leader in terms of both trips and expenditures. And the UAE will grow faster than any Middle East/African nation from 2012-2017: adding one million trips–and with a 17.9% annual growth rate that ranks sixth in the world.

Wellness tourism is defined as “all travel associated with enhancing one’s personal well-being,” and this newly-released data comes from the GWTC’s “Global Wellness Tourism Economy” report, the first research to analyze the $439 billion worldwide wellness tourism market that is growing roughly 50% faster than the tourism sector overall.

Anni Hood, tourism & government liaison for the GWTC, presents the findings at ATM on May 7, and noted, “Wellness-focused travel is growing fast across this vast, diverse region: in the Middle East/North Africa we have the luxury/spa hotel building boom across GCC nations, and the revitalization of indigenous practices, such as historic hammams and baths. And Africa is tourism’s next frontier: from the rise of healthy adventure/safari tourism in South Africa and Kenya–to continued growth for spa/wellness resorts on destination islands like Mauritius or the Seychelles–to just-emerging East African destinations like Ghana or Senegal. These many different ‘stories’ add up to one, big story: the fastest growing wellness tourism market in the world.”

KEY FINDINGS

To view the complete breakdown for the top 12 Middle East/African nations for wellness travel, click here.

Expenditures: The Middle East/North African wellness tourism market (domestic and international combined) is worth $5.3 billion USD annually. Sub-Saharan Africa market expenditures total $2 billion USD each year–for a combined $7.3 billion USD Middle East/African market.

Trips: The Middle East/North African region drives 4.8 million wellness-focused trips (inbound and domestic) annually, while Sub-Saharan Africa generates 2.2 million–for a combined regional total of 7 million trips.

Top Five Current Country Leaders (annual trips/expenditures in USD):

1)    South Africa: 1.5 mil/$1.5 bil

2)    UAE: 800,000/$1.4 bil

3)    Israel: 600,000/$1 bil

4)    Morocco: 800,000/$800 mil

5)    Egypt: 900,000/$700 mil

South Africa, with its well-established spa, wellness and hot springs destinations and robust domestic wellness travel, is the current regional spend leader. But the UAE, with its huge, recent tourism investments, that increasingly attract wealthy Asian, American, European and intra-GCC travelers, ranks #2–and is gaining.

Middle East/North Africa–The Global Growth Leader (Annual Growth Rate, 2012-2017)

Middle East/North Africa: 16.2%

Latin America: 13.4%

Asia Pacific: 13.4%

Sub-Saharan Africa: 12.6%

North America: 8%

Europe 7.3%

The top four fastest-growing nations in the region listed below (based on a combination of annual growth rate and trips added) also rank among the top 30 nations GLOBALLY for projected wellness tourism growth through 2017.

Fastest-Growing Middle East/Africa Wellness Tourism Countries (Trips Added/Annual Growth Rate, 2012-2017)

1) UAE: 1 mil/17.9%

2) South Africa: 1 mil/10.5%

3) Israel: 800,000/18.6%

4) Morocco: 800,000/14.7%

And Israel, the UAE and Morocco all rank in the top ten in the world for “pure percentage” growth in wellness travel through 2017, ranking #5, #6 and #10, respectively.

Inbound Wellness Tourism Crucial: Worldwide, domestic wellness tourism is dramatically larger than its international equivalent, representing 84% of trips and 68% of expenditures. But for the Middle East/Africa, the reverse is true: no global region’s wellness travel market is as dependent on inbound tourists. In the Middle East/North Africa, international tourists make up 63% of trips and 75% of expenditures. In Sub-Saharan Africa, inbound tourists comprise 60% of trips, and an overwhelming 94% of expenditures.

Top Five Inbound Country Leaders: (number of wellness-focused arrivals annually)

1)    South Africa: 665,900

2)    UAE: 603,600

3)    Egypt: 593,400

4)    Morocco: 464,200

5)    Tunisia: 354,500

Impact on Economy & Jobs: Wellness tourism is directly responsible for 200,000 jobs in the Middle East/North Africa, and 100,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa. And this booming travel segment has an estimated wider impact of $13.4 billion USD on the former’s regional economy, and a $6 billion USD impact on the latter’s.

To access the European and Latin American wellness travel market press releases, visit:http://www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org/index.php/press-room.

For more info on the “Global Wellness Tourism Economy” report, contact Beth McGoarty: beth(at)rbicom(dot)com or (+1) 213-300-0107. Qualified media may request a copy.

source: http://www.intercooleronline.com / Intercooler Online / Home /New Youk – NY (PRWeb) – May 06th, 2014