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News: Innovative India boost tourism

Thu, 03 May 07

India has recently been implementing a number of initiatives to boost the number of tourists visiting the country, reports Assetz...

As India is so large, there is plenty of variation from region to region, which allows the tourism ministry to work on many different angles. It is possible, for instance, to go skiing in the north - or dive with tropical fish in the south and perhaps enjoy a cocktail on a warm beach afterwards. If none of this is appealing, tourists might like to venture into the rainforests, home to the famous Bengal tigers and the Indian elephant.

However, while varied, attractions such as these are still of a traditional nature and do not really break new ground. This is where the Indian tourist board has begun to excel itself - coming up with new and innovative ways to sell the country to foreign travellers. The body is currently promoting two new schemes that it hopes will prove attractive.

Medical tourism

The first of these is medical tourism. A relatively recent phenomena, medical tourism is based on the fact that it is much cheaper to buy private medical care in some foreign countries than it is on the domestic market. For many British people, the cost of travelling abroad and paying for a medical procedure is preferable even to a free operation on the NHS, as there is often a long waiting time for non-urgent work.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, the majority of such operations have to paid for privately, as the NHS will not undertake cosmetic work unless there is some pressing physical or psychological need.

With the intention of promoting medical tourism in the country, the Indian tourism office - Incredible India - has persuaded the government to introduce a medical tourist visa. This allows somebody to come to India for a period of one year - which can be extended to three - if the purpose of the trip is to undergo an operation or medical procedure of some kind.

Rain Tourism

Another niche marketing idea that Incredible India have come up with is "rain tourism". While people from Britain may find it difficult to understand why exactly anybody would travel to see rain, given that many Britons take holidays for the express purpose of escaping the bad weather, such tourism is apparently popular with Middle East holidaymakers.

The rain tourism campaign is aimed at Arab nations and invites travellers from the region to come and experience the monsoon season - which will doubtless be incredible for anybody who has never seen rain before.

The proactive and innovative nature of the Indian tourist board is something that may prove attractive to the property investor looking to make a purchase overseas. Incredible India is pushing the cause of Indian tourism hard - and the investor with a property in the right place can only benefit from any subsequent upturn in trade.

 

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