Publication:Indian Express
Date:Dec 18, 2006;
Section:Ahmedabad city edition;
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Monday, December 18, 2006
NEWS
MoU on tapping ayurveda tourism
Express News Service Ahmedabad, December 17: TO capture the billion-dollar wellness travel market of Latin America and the Caribbeans, city-based Holistic Medical Centre and Centre Holistico-Ayurvedico del Este of Venezuela, have entered into an agreement for mutual promotion of ayurveda and tourism. This is claimed to be the first such agreement between Gujarat and Venezuela.
Under the agreement, there will be an exchange programme between Caribbean islands, Latin America and Gujarat in areas of health, tourism and business. A three-batches group consisting of 20 members each will arrive here in March next year, said Vaidya Prerak Shah of Holistic Medical Centre.
The services planned under the agreement include stress management, counselling, ayurvedic traditional massage, beauty therapies and diet counselling, besides ayurvedic spa and resort facilities, which are latest in the trend in the world. ''We are trying this in the Caribbean to promote ayurvedic lifestyle,'' Shah said.
Indiana M de Monterverde, director of the Venezuelan venture, said this was her first visit to India and that Gujarat was preferred over Kerala for the inherent qualities of Gujaratis as strong believers in God, having amiable nature and great devotion to what they did. ''My experience with Gujarat is marvellous, unlike the West, people here are not stressed out. Vegetarianism and non-alcoholism have attracted me to the State,'' she said.
Hinting at the profile of clientale to be targetted under the agreement, she said that 70 per cent of tourists to the Caribbeans were Americans. She was also appreciative of the Vibrant Gujarat campaign.
However, Shah clarified that the Memorandum of Understanding was his own initiative and did not have anything to do with government support.
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