By Our Staff Writer
The South Indian state of Kerala plans to work with the private sector to expand its share of the global medical value travel market, with a particular focus on attracting high-spending Arab travellers and their families, the state’s tourism minister said.
Kerala aims to develop itself as a major healthcare and wellness destination for visitors from the Gulf and wider Arab world as part of a roadmap to establish the state as a global medical travel hub by 2030, said Kerala’s tourism minister P.C. Vishnunath at a medical tourism industry meeting in Kochi.
“Kerala possesses all the infrastructure and human capital required to lead this sector,” the minister said, citing hospitals with advanced treatment facilities, qualified doctors and nursing and paramedical staff.
The state needed to combine those capabilities with high ethical standards, treatment quality and service standards to maintain patient confidence, he added.
The Indian state’s push comes ahead of Indo Arab Connect 2026, a tourism and healthcare summit in Kochi, the commercial city of Kerala, scheduled to be held from August 31 to September 1.
More than 100 hotels, resorts, Ayurveda centres and hospitals from India are expected to participate as exhibitors
Organisers said more than 175 Arab travel agents and tour operators from 11 countries have confirmed participation.
Organisers said they aim to attract nearly 300,000 additional visitors from Arab countries to Kerala and generate more than $2.9 billion in tourism-related revenue over the next five years.
Arab travellers are an important source market for Kerala, with visitors from Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other West Asian markets, among the state’s key international visitor groups, according to industry representatives.
