Health tourism

Travelling for pleasure is just one kind of travel that one sees today. There are many people who travel to specific places to make use of the relatively cheap medical facilities that are available. Take for instance the case of patients with a rheumatism or arthritis problem. They are keen that the medical help that they seek involves something that is inexpensive but effective at the same time. They know that the hospitals that they go to are not going to be cheap at all. So, they opt for another country where medical facilities are relatively cheaper.

This kind of travel is also referred to as health tourism or health travel. People shop around for the right kind of treatment for their ailments and are prepared to go out of the country for the treatment that they think will put their bodies back to normal. A person with a severe back pain has only two or three options to get rid of the pain. One is to be on painkillers from now till eternity, the other is to go in for some physiotherapy and the third is to think of an alternative form of medicine.

If the person is in the USA or in some part of Europe he might opt to take the third option for one reason. He hopes to get relieved of the pain and as a bonus travel to another country for the treatment. It is almost like killing two birds with one stone. He gets to see a new place and he also gets his ailment treated well. This is a field of travel and tourism that is developing very fast.

Kerala, a state in the southern part of India is famous for its therapeutic massages that are on offer in most of the resorts that are on the seashore or the backwaters. There are many people who come from various parts of the world, hoping to get their bodies and minds all toned up with the various kinds of mud baths, massages and other facilities that are offered in these hotels. In fact, one cannot refer to these places of health tourism as mere hotels. To call them health spas would certainly not be incorrect.

Before deciding on this kind of travel, one has to be really sure about the kind of treatment that is on offer in all these places. With a lot of flashy brochures and colourful websites, most of these places try to woo the avid traveller to come and enjoy their facilities. There are many places that really offer all that they say they do. On the other hand, you might find a totally different scene once you reach the place. What was on the brochure is nowhere in sight and you are left with a pain in your back and a very big hole in your pocket.

The costs of this kind of health tourism or travel is yet another issue that one needs to be concerned about before embarking on a journey such as this. You need to understand that you are going to pay not only for the travel and accommodation, but also for the treatment that you are going to get for your medical complaints.