KTDC plans to attract tourists from Middle East, Russia with Age Halt Ayurveda programme

Buoyed by the growing popularity of its Age Halt programme that provides Ayurveda treatment on the go, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is planning to woo tourists from the Middle East and Russia during the monsoon season this year. “Our Age Halt programme, launched last year, has sparked huge interest among tourists in India and abroad. It is a unique product that seamlessly combines Ayurvedic treatment and travel,” said N Prashant, Managing Director, KTDC.


The Age Halt programme provides Ayurveda packages through KTDC properties such as Samudra (Kovalam), Bolgatty Palace, Bolgatty Island Resort and Marina House (Kochi), Tea County (Munnar), Lake Palace and Aranya Nivas (Thekkady), and Periyar House, inside the Periyar Sanctuary, a release stated.

“A tourist may be confined to one location for 10-15 days while the Ayurvedic treatment is on, forcing him/her to forego the recreational aspect of travel. Age Halt is a combination of both recreation and treatment. A tourist who opts for a rejuvenation package at one place can move to other properties of KTDC without any interruption under continuous medical supervision,” Prashant said.

KTDC has tied up with Santhigiri Ashram at some of its properties for providing Ayurvedic therapy. The duration of the packages is up to 21 days and the tariff varies from Rs 1,900 to Rs 192,500. 

Currently, tourists majorly from Germany, Britain, Russia and France opt for the Age Halt programme, but KTDC is keen to enter the Gulf countries in a substantial manner. “We had organised special roadshows in the Gulf last year, and the Arabs are now coming to Kerala for the treatment of lifestyle diseases. They (Arabs) are tempted by the sight of rainfall. If we combine it with the Ayurvedic therapy, it will be a big opportunity for Kerala to leverage its traditional medicine system as a strong wellness quotient during the monsoon,” Prashant noted.

Rani George, Tourism Director, Kerala, said that Ayurveda, as a tourism product, has great prospects in the Middle East, Australia and Russia, besides the traditional markets in Germany. Kerala Tourism has already started a campaign, ‘Kerala - The Home of Ayurveda’, in the domestic as well as international markets.

Kerala is also pinning hopes on domestic tourists to sustain its Monsoon Tourism. “We can’t afford to ignore domestic tourists. Monsoons are a vacation time in the Northern states, and Kerala gives a relatively cheaper option to people from these states to avail of Ayurveda therapy while on the move,” said Prasanth, adding that KTDC would soon launch a monsoon package, including Ayurveda and indoor games. He also revealed that KTDC is setting up a drive-in beach resort at Muzhappilangad beach in Kannur district, which will be the largest in Asia.

Kerala recorded 7.9 lakh international tourist arrivals and one crore domestic tourist arrivals last year.