has started to draw more medical tourists to the country. South
India also has a host of well known medical colleges and nurses
training establishments producing thousands of doctors and
nurses to serve the ailing at home and abroad.
Connectivity Edge
Southern India has no dearth of international airports so as to
facilitate the arrival of health tourists from abroad to any of the
states within. A tourist arriving here by air can reach any of the
locations in these southern states with just a couple of hours drive
from the nearest international airport. Easy accessibility is the
most important factor for the growth of tourism. Earlier, the costs
to cities in these states from other Indian cities like Delhi were as
high as the fares to destinations in South-East and Middle-East.
But the situation has changed for the good thanks to the Open
Sky Policy and the emergence of budget airlines in the country.
Well connected roads and rail aids comfortable and low prized
travel throughout the region. More and more international airlines
are vying with each other to have connections to these South
Indian states.
Role of NRIs and Social Media
The latest trend in health tourism in South India is the flocking of
NRIs in large numbers seeking medical aid in these states.
According to the official records, India is having over 18 million
NRI population. People working abroad come to their home states
whenever they are to undergo treatment for all diseases except
for simple nuisances. A few years back, the destinations selected
by such NRIs were Delhi or Mumbai. Back then, it was the lack of
proper awareness about many of the hospitals in the south Indian
states that had forced the NRIs to go for other states and cities.
Now, many of the hospitals have been keen on providing proper
awareness to those seeking such services about their institutions
and the services rendered by them. Of late, the situation has
changed a lot with the authorities of more hospitals recognizing
the need for showcasing their institutions’ specialties. As a result,
the number of NRIs availing the healthcare services has touched
new heights. Now they have become a category of their own
among the health tourists coming to South India.