Healthcare tourism needs more attention as export sector: Services Export Promotion Council

SEPC DG Abhay Sinha

Indian healthcare tourism needs more attention and is a promising sector for export, Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) Director-General Abhay Sinha said in an interview with Moneycontrol.

“India has been doing well in a host of sectors but needs to pay heed to those that hold a promising future. Expansion of the healthcare tourism industry is something the government should keenly look at,” Sinha said.

“The government has launched several schemes for sectors such as pharma, where India is being positioned as the pharmacy of the world. It has launched campaigns such as Incredible India for tourism. Similar campaigns are required for sectors like healthcare, which holds promise for growth,” he added.

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The industry has been seeking rebates on marketing activities for medical tourism, GST waivers on foreign patients’ flights, and hospital and hotel bills.

Over the past decade, India has gained a reputation in providing high-quality medical service at low costs to medical tourists from across the globe.

However, with the travel ban during COVID-19, the influx of medical tourists had dipped. According to the tourism ministry, India registered a negative growth of 79.4 percent over 2020.

“It was during COVID days that competitor countries, such as Thailand and Turkey, took over the gap that had been created,” says Sinha.

India is ranked 10th on the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) for 2020-21, out of 46 destinations by the Medical Tourism Association.

The central government’s 'Heal in India' initiative, expected to push India’s position as a hub for medical tourism, still awaits its launch date.

However, the creation of special medical visas for tourists travelling to India for healthcare purposes has helped the country’s cause.

Meanwhile, the industry’s exports are expected to reach $13 billion by 2026 but more can be done to make it even bigger, added Sinha.