Optimism in Mumbai and Kerala about medical travel imtj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from imtj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Till the winter of last year, Ayurveda Yoga Villa, a research centre and hospital, tucked in the Wayanad district of Kerala, was teeming with European patients. There was a long waiting period for admission and its three properties, including a mountain-top property nearby, were booked in advance for months by foreigners looking for health benefits from the ancient Indian medical science. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has changed the industry’s dynamics. Its mountain-top property has shut down and occupancy at its river front property at Kuruvadweep has dropped by half. “We were booked for months in advance by Europeans but after the lockdown in March, there are no takers,” says Ayurveda Yoga Villa founder, Ajay Kumar, who set up the chain after returning from Finland where he was working for decades.