In consonance with the commitment of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to transform Punjab as the next Wellness Tourism destination, the Tourism and Cultural Affairs department showcased the immense potential in the state for wellness tourism with its accessible locations and diverse topography, spanning from semi-hilly areas to vast agricultural landscapes and rivers.
During opening day of the 1st Tourism Summit and Travel Mart 2023 organised jointly by the Punjab Tourism & Culture Affairs department and Invest Punjab at Amity University on Monday, panel discussion was held on the topic “Soulful Punjab: Discovering Inner Harmony through Wellness Tourism” and the experts appreciated the State for undertaking a myriad of efforts to improve the investment ecosystem of the State in the wellness sector. Financial Commissioner Forest Mr Vikas Garg was also present in the session.
Kuldeep Singh, Associate Director of KPMG, who was the moderator of the session, informed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government has already released the first draft of Wellness Tourism Policy to invite suggestions from stakeholders.
Under this draft policy, the state has proposed to open high-end resorts/centres to revive energy, promote positive health, and manage a healthy lifestyle, where services such as Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Spa, Yoga, meditation, skincare treatment would be provided. These centres will further help in generating employment opportunities for the youth of Punjab, he added.
Dr. Mruthyunjaya Swamy, MD of Shathayu Ayurveda Bengaluru, emphasised that Punjab has a huge potential for the wellness tourism as around 40 per cent of the raw material is being produced by the Punjab state for Ayurveda medicines.
Apart from this, the wellness tourism industry has remained USD 800 Billion in 2022, and it is expected to grow at 12% till 2030. Post Covid, people are more concerned about not only their health, but they are now also prioritising on their mental health too, he added.
Loveleen Multani Arun, Founder-Director, Panache World- a boutique travel company based in Bangalore said that now a days, even healthy people are ready to spend on their well-being as prevention is always better than cure.
Hem Khosla, Founder of Curedemy is the digital education platform, said that they are going to establish an institute over 50 acres in Kapurthala district to make Punjab a disease free and will also produce trainers to prevent people from chronic diseases.
Raja Ram Munnuswamy, President of Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), France said that they will join hands with the state government to strengthen and promote tourist activities and they would sign an MoU with the Punjab Tourism department. GOPIO international will also work on promoting Punjab tourism and its activities, he added.
Roheit Hans, founder of Noumenaa Consulting Services said that travellers today seek more than just comfortable vacation destinations; they desire immersive experiences filled with solace and peace that connect them with local culture and traditions. Punjab has a proud legacy of prioritising health and wellness.
Sajeev Kurup, Managing Director of Perumbayil Ayurvedamana— an ayurveda centre in Kerala, and Ms Vinita Rashinkar, an author, health and wellness expert, speaker, spiritual counsellor and Tourism and Wellness specialist, also stated that there is a lot of untapped potential and new avenues for sustainable wellness tourism in the state.