THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Revving up wellness tourism in India, the December 1-5 Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2023) in Kerala capital will host the largest ever Business-to-Business Meet on ayurveda-based medical tourism, bringing together over 150 tour operators from India and abroad to clinch business decisions with major wellness institutions and service providers.
The prime focus of the wellness B2B segment at the meet, scheduled for December 3 at the Greenfield Stadium in the city, is to attract international and domestic tourists seeking Ayurveda-based wellness and rejuvenation solutions and create a network of tour operators, ayurvedic institutions, service providers and other stakeholders.
“This B2B meet at GAF will be a big boost to tourism while globally positioning Ayurveda as a holistic solution to address serious health challenges staring at the humanity,” said Dr G G Gangadharan, Working Chairman, GAF.
As home to world renowned Ayurvedic institutions and where the most authentic form of the time-tested Indian system of medicine is practised, Kerala will especially benefit from the event as wellness tourism is a fast-growing domain in the state, Dr Gangadharan said.
The meet will provide a platform for networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration between the tourism industry and Ayurveda institutions, said Dr C Sureshkumar, Chief Co-ordinator, GAF.
This meet assumes added significance as it comes in the backdrop of increased global awareness about Ayurveda and the Ayush Ministry and the Centre and all state governments promoting wellness tourism prominently, with special focus on Ayurveda and other indigenous medical systems, Dr Sureshkumar added.
Also, an expo of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ayurveda will be held as part of GAF, enabling a wide range of enterprises from different parts of the country to showcase products and services.
Now into its 5th edition, GAF will see focused deliberations on a diverse range of topics related to Ayurveda by experts from across the globe on all five days. The focal theme of the GAF 2023, to be held at the Greenfield International Stadium in the city, is “Emerging Challenges in Healthcare & a Resurgent Ayurveda.
The biennial event is being organized by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), in association with Ministry of Ayush, Government of India; Government of Kerala, and the Ayurveda fraternity represented by AMAI, AMMOI, AHMA, KISMA, ADMA, Viswa Ayurveda Parishad and 14 other Ayurveda Associations.
