Kozhikode: “The stakeholders should form a united front to present our state as a destination for health tourism,” according to district collector U.V. Jose. Malabar has great scope to develop medical tourism, he said while inaugurating ‘Kerala Health Tourism 2017,’ a two-day international conference and exhibition on health tourism organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) here on Friday.
The state government and the Kerala tourism industry should join hands to promote health tourism here, he said. Mr E.M. Najeeb, convenor of CII Kerala health panel, pointed out that wellness tourism contributed 30 percent of the total employment and revenue in the tourism sector of Kerala. He asked the stakeholders to put pressure on the government to act as a facilitator and catalyst for the promotion of health tourism.
Some of the topics discussed included developing north Malabar as a medical tourism destination, ethical medical practices in healthcare and infection prevention and control, globalisation of healthcare market and mainstreaming eyecare and dental tourism. A two-day exhibition featuring international insurance companies, third party administrators, airlines, embassies and trade offices, leading hospitals, hotels and resorts, spas and health travel and tour operators is also part of the conference.
