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Ahmedabad, Aug 7 Indian Aura, a new venture of Airline Travel & Tours Centre, plans to make Gujarat the medical tourism destination of Asia. Speaking to press persons, Mr I.J. Patel, Chairman, said, “Of the total number of non-resident Indians, 59 per cent are Gujaratis and we hope to tap this segment to bring them to India for medical treatment and recuperation and hardsell Gujarat for the same.”

The company has tied up with HRH Group of Hotels, Grand Intercontinental Group, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Wockhardt Hospitals and is in talks with the Taj Group of hotels as service providers.

Indian Aura will be the marketing agency for the spas, hospitals and palaces of these organisations, facilitating services for mainly the NRI populace.

In Gujarat, the company has tie-ups with Bhailal Amin Hospital, Baroda, SAL and Shalby Hospitals in Ahmedabad.

The company also hopes that by tying up with the hotel groups, they will be able to convince them to set shop in Gujarat, where, currently, very few national five-star hotel chains are present.

The company is in talks with the HRH group to start operations in Gujarat, said Mr Patel.

The company, however, intends setting up and managing around five to seven spas under its brand, three of which will be in Gujarat.

It will invest Rs 10 crore in three years, out of its own funds and expects a turnover of Rs 9 crore by end of 2009, said Mr Vinod Kumar, consultant to the company.

The spas will provide Mediterranean, Indian and Oriental systems of medicines with Naturopathy, Allopathy and Ayurveda treatments.

The company will tap its network of Indian embassies, and NRI associations abroad to market Indian Aura and sees retired pensioners, senior citizens, single women and professionals as potential customers.

According to a recent CII/McKenzie report, the medical tourism industry in India is expected to reach Rs 12,000 crore by 2012, becoming the second highest export earner after the IT industry.

More Stories on : Outlook | Tourism | Gujarat

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