Buoyed by the growing popularity of its ‘Age Halt’ programme that provides ayurveda treatment on the go, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is all set to woo tourists in a big way, especially from West Asia and Russia, during the monsoon season.

Tourists are coming mostly from Germany, Britain, Russia and France, but KTDC is keen to enter the Gulf countries in a substantial manner.

“We organised special road shows in the Gulf last year, and the Arabs are now coming to Kerala for the treatment of lifestyle diseases,” KTDC Managing Director N. Prashant said.

“The Arabs are tempted by the sight of rainfall. If we combine it with the ayurvedic therapy, it will be a big opportunity for Kerala to leverage its traditional medicine system as a strong wellness quotient during the monsoon,” he noted.

Ayurveda, as a tourism product, has great prospects in West Asia, Australia and Russia, besides traditional markets in Germany, Kerala Tourism Director Rani George said.

The State tourism has already started a new campaign ‘Kerala – The Home of Ayurveda’ to promote ayurveda in domestic as well as international markets.

“We are planning to launch a media blitzkrieg and outdoor hoardings in West Asia early next month to promote ayurveda tourism. In fact, we plan to target the entire West Asia from June to September which is the holiday season there,” she said.

“Our Age Halt programme, launched last year, has sparked huge interest among tourists both in India and abroad. It is a unique product that seamlessly combines ayurvedic treatment and travel,” said Prashant.

The programme provides exclusive ayurveda packages through its premium properties such as Samudra (Kovalam), Bolgatty Palace, Bolgatty Island Resort and Marina House (Kochi), Tea County (Munnar), Lake Palace and Aranya Nivas (Thekkady) and Periyar House inside the Periyar Sanctuary.

“A tourist may be confined to one location for 10-15 days while the ayurvedic treatment is on, forcing the tourist to forego the recreational aspect of travel. Age Halt is a combination of both recreation and treatment. A tourist who opts for a rejuvenation package at one place can move to other properties of KTDC without any interruption under continuous medical supervision,” he said.

KTDC has 72 properties, including nine premium ones, the largest in the country. It has tied up with Santhigiri Ashram at some properties for providing ayurvedic therapy. The duration of the packages ranges from 1 to 21 days and the tariff varies from Rs 1,900 to Rs 1,92,500.

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