New Delhi [India], January 23 (ANI): Ministry of Ayush has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India to work together for the promotion of Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

Shashi Ranjan Vidyarthi, Director, Ministry of Ayush and Piyush Tiwari, Director (Commercial and Marketing), ITDC signed the MoU in the presence of S Pramod Kumar Pathak, special secretary, MoA and other senior officials of the Ministry of Ayush and ITDC.

According to the MoU, the Ministry of Ayush will provide training to the officials of ITDC to sensitize them about the Medical value of travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine. It will identify tourist circuits, where there is immense scope to promote Medical value travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine and provide all the technical know-how from time to time to ITDC.

Ministry of Ayush in a statement said that ITDC on the suggestion of the Ministry of Ayush will include historical heritage sites of Indian systems of medicine in tourist destinations under "Knowledge Tourism and may develop films/literature useful to tourists. It will explore establishing Ayurveda and Yoga centre in the Hotels run by ITDC and will organize sensitization workshops in collaboration.

"The implementation and progress of the MoU will be monitored by a Joint Working Group (JWG) co-chaired by representatives from MoA and ITDC. The JWG will also identify the best practices adopted by Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand etc. to promote themselves as a preferred destination for Medical value travel" Ministry addedIn the recently concluded First Health Working Group meeting of the G20 India presidency at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala G20 delegates deliberated on opportunities and challenges to promote MVT in India.

Medical Value Travel has seen significant growth in India in recent years. According to the report 'The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID' by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Wellness economy will grow at 9.9 per cent annually. The Ayush-based healthcare and Wellness economy is estimated to grow to USD 70 billion by 2025. (ANI)