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Destination News |
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India ranks 5th on Medical Tourism
Index globally; 2nd in Asia |
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India currently ranks 5th on the
Medical Tourism Index globally and
2nd in Asia as per the International
Healthcare and Research Centre
statistics. This portrays a
potential opportunity for India in
becoming a future leader in medical
tourism given the fact that it
focuses on building infrastructure,
technology & services, and a
seamless experience for buyers. The
increase in competition globally
calls for a strong branding
mechanism in place, highlighted
Jonathan Edelheit, CEO, Medical
Tourism Association, USA while
speaking to TravelBiz Monitor at the
World Medical Tourism Congress held
from March 7-8, 2017 at Crowne
Plaza, Greater Noida.
“Though the Indian government is
taking steps in building India as a
preferred medical tourism
destination, it can also play a
vital role in implementing
accreditation by creating standards
and streamline processes so that it
is a delightful experience from the
moment the buyer steps in India till
he leaves,” he said.
He goes on to add that India is
pretty advanced on the medical
tourism front. Today more of
insurance companies and employers
are adopting medical tourism and
institutionalising the sector which
paves way for future growth.
However, its global perception has
dropped a bit in the last few years
with the safety concerns doing the
rounds. Here, the public and the
private sector need to go hand in
hand and reach out to the global
markets and connect with a strong
branding in place, added Edelheit.
The major inbound source markets for
India for medical tourism include
Africa and the Middle East. The
secondary markets comprise the
Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) countries such as Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, etc. Edelheit asserted
that India can also explore the new
market of the United States of
America (USA) along with a deeper
and stronger penetration in Middle
East and Africa. |
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Highway liquor ban by govt |
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The Supreme Court today told states
and liquor lobbies that the ban
imposed by it on liquor vends within
500 metres of highways was only an
endorsement of the Union
government's stand on the issue
since 2004.
A three-judge bench of Chief Justice
J.S. Khehar and Justices D.Y.
Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao
told the advocates appearing for the
states, liquor shops and restaurants
that it was the Union road transport
and highways ministry that had first
taken the decision, in 2004, that no
liquor vends would be permitted near
national highways.
The policy was iterated by the
ministry through a number of
advisories that were converted into
an order by the Supreme Court in
December last year. While ordering
the removal of liquor vends from
within 500 metres of state and
national highways, the court had
also taken into account the
recommendations of the Justice K.S.
Radhakrishnan Committee, Justice
Chandrachud told the advocates
during the over two-hour hearing.
"We have not laid down a policy. We
have only laid down norms," the
bench said while referring to the
ministry advisories to the states
since 2004.
The bench prima facie disagreed with
the views of attorney-general Mukul
Rohatgi, appearing for Kerala and
Tamil Nadu, and the other advocates
that any such ban should be
restricted to national highways, not
state highways.
The lawyers appearing for some of
the states, restaurant owners and
liquor vends had argued that the
December 2016 order would cause huge
financial loss to the states and
also those engaged in the liquor
trade.
However, the court appeared
reluctant to admit the plea and
pointed out that several states,
including a big state like Madhya
Pradesh, had filed an affidavit
saying they would abide by the apex
court's direction for the closure of
all liquor vends within 500 metres
of the highway.
The bench later indicated it might
pronounce its decision on Friday on
the plea for an eight-month
extension of the March 31 deadline
to remove the liquor vends.
Besides, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana
and Tamil Nadu have sought a
modification of the order. The All
Assam Indian-Made Foreign Liquor
Retailers' Association, too, had
sought an extension of the deadline.
The Supreme Court had passed the
earlier direction last December on
the recommendation of a three-member
road-safety committee it had
appointed.
The committee, headed by former apex
court judge K.S. Radhakrishnan has
made several suggestions to the
Centre, states, Union territories on
road safety, including a ban on the
sale of liquor along state and
national highways, removal of
hoardings and billboards on highways
that distract drivers and clearing
all pavements in the country of
encroachments to ensure the safety
of pedestrians and other road users.
In one of its World Report on Road
Traffic Injury Prevention, the World
Health Organisation had projected
that by 2020, road accidents would
be one of the biggest killers in
India, accounting for 546,000 deaths
annually. |
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Mobile App to help tourists explore
Rajasthan heritage sites |
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When everything is driven by IT, how
could Rajasthan tourism overlook its
application in facilitating
tourists? Now tourists visiting the
state wouldn't have to solely depend
on tour operators and guides to show
them around. All they would have to
do is download the application on
their phone and go around site
seeing with 'TripMyWay' a mobile
application supported by the tourism
department of the Rajasthan
government.
"Rajasthan Tourism has pioneered
this effort to bring world class
travel experience to India with
TripMyWay. This mobile application
focusses on creating self-guided
in-trip audio and visual guides.
These are accessible to travelers on
their mobile devices. To the
traveler, it offers a unique way to
experience heritage and explore a
city along with the freedom and
flexibility of a mobile phone based
app. |
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Light and sound show to begin in May
2017 at Sarnath |
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The tourism department is all set to
begin a 'light and sound show' at
the excavated remains of Sarnath in
a bid to lure tourists and elongate
their stay in the temple town. The
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
and UP Tourism have already signed
an MoU in this regard.
The tourism ministry has started
efforts to get it implemented at the
earliest following the recent
announcement of Union minister of
state (independent charge) for
tourism and culture Mahesh Sharma
that the light and sound show at
Sarnath will be started Positively
in May 2017. |
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