http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Medical-Tourism-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 3 Feb 2012 23:05:29 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Tourism-Caught-in-Copycat-Ad-Row-Second-Time-95818-1.htm Philippine tourism suffered a setback Friday over claims of its new slogan copied an old Swiss one. This is the second time in a row after having already ditched an earlier campaign that allegedly plagiarized Poland's. Hours after the government rolled out its "It's more Fun in the Philippines" campaign, Internet pundits pointed to a 1951 Swiss National Tourist Office ad which proclaimed "It's more fun in Switzerland!" Dennis Gorecho, who described himself as a Manila lawyer, criticized ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Tourism-Caught-in-Copycat-Ad-Row-Second-Time-95818-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Agent-Says-N-Korea-Tourism-to-Reopen-After-Kim-Death-95550-1.htm A tour organizer has said that North Korea will reopen to tourists on January 10, less than a month after strongman Kim Jong-Il died. Kim died on December 17 from a heart attack at the age of 69, prompting a 13-day mourning period in the communist country that culminated Thursday in a huge memorial service for the late leader. "We have just been informed by our Korean partners that the DPRK (North Korea) will open to tourists from January 10th," Koryo Group, a Beijing-based travel agency ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Agent-Says-N-Korea-Tourism-to-Reopen-After-Kim-Death-95550-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-in-Japan-Affected-by-Atomic-Fears-91442-1.htm Fears of radiation have caused a dip in tourism in Japan. But despite an appearance of normality, business is far from booming in Matsushima, where serene pine-covered islands have attacted generations of tourists to an area classed as one of Japan's three most beautiful spots. The guesthouses and hotels -- in a district the Michelin Blue guide gives its maximum three stars -- owe most of their business to workers helping to rebuild coastal communities shattered by the March 11 tsunami. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-in-Japan-Affected-by-Atomic-Fears-91442-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Record-Year-for-Paris-Tourism-89792-1.htm The City of Light has reported a record number of visitors this year. The number of tourists rose 3.5 percent in the first half of the year to a record 7.6 million, according to Paris tourism office director Paul Roll. The hotel occupancy rate rose to 78.3 percent to its best reading in a decade, with the average cost of rooms rising 7.8 percent to 158.40 euros ( (Dollor) 228.56). Revenue per room, a key indicator of the profitability of the sector, rose 11.6 percent to 127.60 euros....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Record-Year-for-Paris-Tourism-89792-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Quality-and-Affordable-Treatment-Making-Kolkata-a-Medical-Tourism-Hotspot-88489-1.htm West Bengal's Kolkata city emerged as a favourite destination for medical tourism, owing to the world class facilities provided to the foreign patients at an extremely affordable price. In the past few years, significant surge was witnessed in the number of foreign patients who arrive in the city to get treated at various hospitals. A few of the renowned hospitals in the city saw a rise in the number of patients coming from abroad. Rupali Basu, who is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Quality-and-Affordable-Treatment-Making-Kolkata-a-Medical-Tourism-Hotspot-88489-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tunisian-Tourism-Woes-Reflected-By-Empty-Hotels-and-Silent-Beaches-87586-1.htm The Tunisian seaside resort of Yasmine Hammamet with its fine beach, warm blue sea and welcoming hotels is like a picture postcard in early summer -- but with nobody in it. Europeans, Algerians and Libyans have all deserted the town in the northwest of Tunisia, which is undergoing the worst tourist season in history, like most of the other seaside towns in the north African country since the January revolution that ousted the despot Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. "It's worse than catastrophic," ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tunisian-Tourism-Woes-Reflected-By-Empty-Hotels-and-Silent-Beaches-87586-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Bikini-Clad-Women-to-Promote-Goa-Tourism-87555-1.htm An official has confirmed that the Indian resort state of Goa is to return to using bikini-clad women to promote tourism, following a self-imposed ban on using scantily-clad models for publicity. Tourism director Swapnil Naik said a nine-week television ad campaign featuring a Miss India finalist, an Indian actress and a former Miss Russia would be launched in 140 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia next Monday. The two models are shown in the 30-second commercial in the two-piece swimwear ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Bikini-Clad-Women-to-Promote-Goa-Tourism-87555-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Piedmont-in-Italy-Seeks-Foodies-to-Boost-Tourism-86972-1.htm The Piedmont region in northwest Italy is bidding to become a new destination for food and wine lovers even though it was long mocked for its poor weather and relatively obscure for many foreign tourists. With Tuscan cities like Florence and Pisa regularly overrun by the summer hordes, tourism officials in Piedmont say their region has been spared and is a better fit for higher-spending foreigners who want some peace and quiet. "Bed and breakfasts, charming hotels and farmhouses -- that's ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Piedmont-in-Italy-Seeks-Foodies-to-Boost-Tourism-86972-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Asian-Tourism-Festival-in-Singapore-85342-1.htm Organizers have confirmed that Singapore will host a major travel and tourism festival in October to showcase business opportunities in a surging Asian market. Called TravelRave 2011, the event will string together a cluster of related events, from October 17 to 23, they said on Thursday. They included an ITB Asia travel fair, a retreat for policymakers and industry leaders hosted by the UN World Tourism Organization, a conference on hotel and tourism investment, and an annual meeting of Asian convention and travel bureaus....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Asian-Tourism-Festival-in-Singapore-85342-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Despite-Drug-Violence-Tourism-is-Booming-in-Mexico-85229-1.htm There is little sign the millions of foreign tourists who visit Mexico each year are losing much sleep over the gruesome headlines from Mexico's drug war. Not only has international tourism not suffered in Mexico because of the violence, the number of travelers was up 12.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, Mexico's tourism minister said Wednesday. US, Canadian and European airlines are adding capacity to meet the demand, and Mexico is experiencing big jumps in tourism from places ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Despite-Drug-Violence-Tourism-is-Booming-in-Mexico-85229-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/SAfricas-Double-Pronged-Marketing-Scheme-Focuses-on-Tourism-and-Wines-84148-1.htm The busload of Swedes that sweep onto the 326-year-old South African wine farm clearly defines the country's new two-edged marketing scheme - theirs is one among the many wine tasting visits that marries vineyard tourism with bottom-line marketing. Sweden is now the third biggest buyer of wine from South Africa, one of the countries the industry is courting to counter a tough export climate. "At the moment it's somewhat stable but you have to fight for every piece of pie out there. The market ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/SAfricas-Double-Pronged-Marketing-Scheme-Focuses-on-Tourism-and-Wines-84148-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japans-Tourism-Industry-Battered-by-Tsunami-82827-1.htm Until two weeks ago, the beach resort of Okumatsushima was a thriving stop on the Japanese tourist trail when a huge tsunami virtually wiped it from the map. On a summer day, thousands would visit the resort's pristine sands, many of them staying in the guest houses that dotted the shoreline on Japan's picturesque northeast coast. They came to gather shellfish or take boat tours of pine-covered islands and eat the oysters produced in the bay. But on March 11 the town's tourist industry ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japans-Tourism-Industry-Battered-by-Tsunami-82827-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Schengen-for-SEAsia-Making-Tourism-Simpler-for-Tourists-82476-1.htm Travellers could soon be able surf in Bali, shop in Singapore and eat spicy street food in Thailand before crossing into Cambodia and cruising the Mekong in Vietnam -- all on a single tourist visa. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is working on a plan that would open the region to foreign tourists in the same way Europe's unified visa system has streamlined travel. "You would just have to apply for one visa and you could then visit all the countries using that visa," said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Schengen-for-SEAsia-Making-Tourism-Simpler-for-Tourists-82476-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Beer-is-Out-of-This-World-Oz-Firms-Develop-Drink-for-Space-Tourism-81762-1.htm Two companies in Australia have developed a beer that can be safely consumed in space. With space tourism preparing to take off as early as next year, Saber Astronautics Australia and the Four Pines Brewing Company came up with the thirst quenching beer. Jaron Mitchell, the founder of Four Pines, said the creation of space beer was an event for the history books. "Wherever humans have journeyed or conquest to throughout history in the last few thousand years, we first worry about water, food, shelter and clothing," News....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/The-Beer-is-Out-of-This-World-Oz-Firms-Develop-Drink-for-Space-Tourism-81762-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Disaster-Stricken-Indonesians-Live-Off-Volcano-Tourism-Dollars-80549-1.htm Javanese villagers who survived the violent eruptions of Mount Merapi volcano last year are tapping into the macabre market for disaster tourism to help rebuild their shattered lives. Suwarni lost her house and father-in-law when the volcano burst into life in October and November, killing more than 350 people in searing rivers of lava, ash and gas that swept across the surrounding countryside. Government assistance was scant and with little prospect of employment the 26-year-old mother ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Disaster-Stricken-Indonesians-Live-Off-Volcano-Tourism-Dollars-80549-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Ground-breaking-New-Law-to-Make-Health-Tourism-Easier-for-European-Cross-border-Travellers-79659-1.htm A new law approved by parliament Wednesday will make it easy for European travellers short of prescription drugs, or on waiting-lists for surgery at home, as they will be reimbursed for care anywhere in the EU by late 2013. The ground-breaking European parliament law, adopted after years of talks, sets out patients' rights to medical care in any of the 27 member states, while spelling out rules for reimbursement and requirements for prior authorisation. "This is a big day for European health, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Ground-breaking-New-Law-to-Make-Health-Tourism-Easier-for-European-Cross-border-Travellers-79659-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Shoots-Up-UN-79611-1.htm Global tourism bounced back from the financial crisis with unexpected vigor arising almost 7 percent last year, reported UN World Tourism Organization on Monday. "Boosted by improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has recovered faster than expected from the impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession of late 2008 and 2009," it said in a statement. International tourist arrivals were up by 6.7 percent at 935 million compared to 2009, higher than the pre-crisis ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Shoots-Up-UN-79611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Plans-to-Introduce-Medical-Tourist-Visas-79584-1.htm In order to promote medical tourism, the Philippines plans to issue medical tourist visas for foreigners who wish to seek medical treatment or health enhancement procedures. The medical tourist visas, to be introduced this year, will allow foreigners to stay in the country for six months without having to apply for extensions as regular tourists are required to do, according to the Bureau of Immigration. "The visa will help the Philippines become competitive in the lucrative medical tourism ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Plans-to-Introduce-Medical-Tourist-Visas-79584-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Angola-Tourism-may-be-Boosted-by-Lure-of-Adventure-Fishing-78643-1.htm Adventure anglers fishing for the giant tarpon look set to put post-war Angola back on the visitors map. The powerful game fish, which can weigh more than 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds), is mainly found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a prized catch among avid sport fishermen. The area around the mouth of the Kwanza river, which spills into the Atlantic, has been bracing for a flurry of activity since the fishing season got underway in November. Adventurers and fishing enthusiasts ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Angola-Tourism-may-be-Boosted-by-Lure-of-Adventure-Fishing-78643-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Chiefs-Pleas-to-Use-Potter-Link-Rejected-by-JK-Rowling-78641-1.htm It has always been clear that the place where JK Rowling grew up cast a lifelong spell on the Harry Potter author. Various landmarks of the Wye Valley have been mentioned in her books and key scenes in the film adaptations have been shot in the area, but when locals sought to exploit their association with the 45-year-old author and her characters to help draw more visitors to the area, they received abrupt refusal by her literary agents. Multi-millionaire Rowling had even named a quidditch ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Chiefs-Pleas-to-Use-Potter-Link-Rejected-by-JK-Rowling-78641-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Eases-Visa-Rules-To-Promote-Medical-Tourism-78186-1.htm Japan said Friday it was easing visa requirements for patients seeking care at Japanese hospitals in a bid to promote "medical tourism", particularly among Asians with rising wealth. Under the new Visa for Medical Stay system, which will start next month, foreign patients can receive renewable, multiple-entry six-month visas, compared with single-entry, 90-day visas available now. "My feeling is that barriers between nations have to be low in the field of medicine," the top government spokesman, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Eases-Visa-Rules-To-Promote-Medical-Tourism-78186-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Takes-Pornographic-Tourism-Campaign-Off-the-Web-77147-1.htm The Philippines said on Monday it had abandoned a new tourism campaign that quickly turned into a public relations disaster amid allegations of plagiarism and links to pornography. The tourism ministry announced it had ditched its "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (Philippines What a Beauty) project after President Benigno Aquino added his voice to widespread criticism of the campaign. "The Department of Tourism confirmed that it is shelving the 'Pilipinas Kay Ganda' concept. Majority of the stakeholders ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Takes-Pornographic-Tourism-Campaign-Off-the-Web-77147-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Pulls-Down-New-Tourism-Website-After-User-Misdirection-to-Porn-Link-76953-1.htm The Philippines said Wednesday it had pulled its latest online tourism campaign after critics panned the rebrand and warned that unwary surfers could easily end up at a porn website instead. The site, www.beautifulpilipinas.com, was taken down on Tuesday, just a day after it was launched by the tourism department, said Evelyn Macayayong, interim head of the ministry's tourist information office. Critics panned the decision to use the local spelling of the country's name, warning that a site ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Philippines-Pulls-Down-New-Tourism-Website-After-User-Misdirection-to-Porn-Link-76953-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Plans-to-Set-Up-Special-Medical-Tourism-Zone-76301-1.htm Taiwanese health authorities said Thursday they plan to establish a special medical zone for foreigners in a bid to tap into the growing health tourism market. The zone will be located near the island's major international airport in the northern county of Taoyuan to make it easily accessible for international visitors, said a health department official who asked not to be named. The government aims to attract local and international investors, including hospitals and hotels, hoping they ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Plans-to-Set-Up-Special-Medical-Tourism-Zone-76301-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Youngest-Liver-Transplant-Recipient-in-India-74957-1.htm Eight-month-old Akshu became one of the youngest recipients of a liver transplant in the country after doctors conducted a nine-hour surgery to save her life. The daughter of Rifleman Anil Kumar, Akshu suffered from a liver failure and her parents had given up hope of her surviving the illness. However doctors at the army's R.R. Hospital in Delhi Cantt performed a marathon nine-hour surgery with a piece of her father's liver before confirming that the baby was recuperating well. Her father was ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Youngest-Liver-Transplant-Recipient-in-India-74957-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Branson-Says-Virgin-to-Launch-Space-Tourism-in-18-Months-74642-1.htm Virgin Galactic is on track to offer commercial space travel within 18 months, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has said. He added that space hotels are next on the drawing board. The project's SpaceshipTwo, an aircraft built by aviation engineer Burt Rutan and designed to carry paying customers into suborbital space, had its maiden flight in the California desert in March. "We just finished building SpaceShipTwo. We are 18 months away from taking people into space," Branson told ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Branson-Says-Virgin-to-Launch-Space-Tourism-in-18-Months-74642-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Recovery-in-2010-Led-by-Asia-73594-1.htm The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has revealed that world tourism rebounded strongly this year from the global financial crisis, led by Asia and the Middle East. But the Madrid-based body also urged caution, noting that some major developed nations have not yet fully emerged from the economic doldrums. International tourist arrivals totaled 421 million in the first six months of 2010, up 7.0 percent on last year but still 2.0 percent below the record year of 2008, the UNWTO said in a report....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-Recovery-in-2010-Led-by-Asia-73594-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Casinos-Give-a-Thrust-to-Tourism-in-Singapore-73347-1.htm Casinos in Singapore are a major attraction to tourists and analysis has revealed that the number of arrivals in a single month has exceeded the one million mark in July. Six months after opening its first casino in February, followed by the second in April, Singapore is already counting its winnings despite lingering concern about gambling-linked social problems among the local population. "Let there be no mistake about it, the legalisation of casino gaming in Singapore was always intended ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Casinos-Give-a-Thrust-to-Tourism-in-Singapore-73347-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Superbug-Does-Not-Affect-Medical-Tourism-Numbers-72806-1.htm The number of patients who flock to India to get treatment continues to rise even after a report published in a leading British medical journal warned of patients who travel to the country getting infected with a possible "superbug". Last week's report in The Lancet has got its fair share of criticism from a number of leading medical experts in India who claim that such an infection is being found in patients who have never travelled to the country. There were fears that the report would drastically ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Superbug-Does-Not-Affect-Medical-Tourism-Numbers-72806-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Medical-Tourism-Spreading-Superbugs-Worldwide-72546-1.htm Plastic surgery patients have carried a new class of superbugs resistant to almost all antibiotics from South Asia to Britain and they could spread worldwide, researchers reported Wednesday. Many hospital infections that were already difficult to treat have become even more impervious to drugs thanks to a recently discovered gene that can jump across different species of bacteria. This so-called NDM-1 gene was first identified last year by Cardiff University's Timothy Walsh in two types ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Medical-Tourism-Spreading-Superbugs-Worldwide-72546-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Greek-Tourism-Buckles-Under-Pressure-of-Strikes-and-Fuel-Shortage-72214-1.htm Disaster has struck Greece's crucial tourism industry at the peak of a summer season badly needed by its recession-hit economy with a national fuel shortage compounding weeks of on-off work unrest. A strike wave against austerity policies, a violent May protest in which three people died in a firebombed bank and unionist action targeting cruise ships and flights have made for a calamitous season, operators say. And additional disruption caused to tens of thousands of travellers by the fuel ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Greek-Tourism-Buckles-Under-Pressure-of-Strikes-and-Fuel-Shortage-72214-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Monsoon-Tourism-Catches-the-Imagination-of-People-72200-1.htm After medical tourism, monsoon tourism has caught on among people. It is not uncommon to see corporate houses sponsoring work-cum-pleasure sessions in Kerala to allow employees to get refreshed and rejuvenated. So what does monsoon tourism involve? This involves visiting Kerala during the month of Karkitaka (mid-July to mid-August). It is thought that the body's immunity is at its lowest during this time, thus making it amenable to all sorts of healing. The main therapy is food, which involves ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Now-Monsoon-Tourism-Catches-the-Imagination-of-People-72200-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gay-Tourism-Picks-Up-in-Conservative-Mexico-City-71948-1.htm Mexico City's gay community is gradually turning the capital into a relative oasis in a staunch Catholic country reknowned for its conservatism and machismo. The authorities in the Mexican capital are now seeking to attract gay tourism, even though there is still widespread discrimination against them. The city is well placed "to become the first gay friendly destination in Latin America," said tourism secretary, Alejandro Rojas. In March, the urban sprawl of some 20 million people celebrated ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gay-Tourism-Picks-Up-in-Conservative-Mexico-City-71948-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Football-Fans-From-South-America-Boost-South-African-Tourism-70718-1.htm South American football fans wrapped in winter wear are streaming into South Africa to add a dash of Latin colour to the first football World Cup on African soil. While five-time winners Brazil and Diego Maradona's Argentina were expected to put up a strong show, surprise packages Paraguay and Uruguay have ensured four South American teams are now in the quarter-finals which begin Friday. South Americans may not have the same spending power as fans of the United States, England and Japan, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Football-Fans-From-South-America-Boost-South-African-Tourism-70718-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourism-Plans-Revival-After-Recent-Violence-69382-1.htm The Thai capital has been almost scrubbed clean, but it will take awhile before images of two months of deadly anti-government street protests disappear from the minds of potential visitors. Thailand's lucrative tourism industry has been gutted by last week's scenes, televised worldwide, of Bangkok reduced to a battle zone in an army crackdown on a "Red Shirt" encampment in the city's ritzy commercial district. Thailand's National Economic and Social Development board said Monday the Bangkok ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Thai-Tourism-Plans-Revival-After-Recent-Violence-69382-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/There-Could-be-Future-Gains-for-SAfrica-Tourism-from-World-Cup-Publicity-68833-1.htm Even though bookings for the World Cup are not up to the mark, South Africa's tourism industry could benefit from the publicity around the sporting event. "At the start, we thought that 450,000 people will come, then 375,000 and even 250,000 people," said Thandiwe January-McLean, head of the country's tourism board, on the sidelines of the region's biggest industry conference, which wraps up Tuesday. But what's more important, she said, are the 26 billion viewers around the world who will ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/There-Could-be-Future-Gains-for-SAfrica-Tourism-from-World-Cup-Publicity-68833-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Aid-to-Tourism-Industry-for-Volcano-Crisis-Offered-in-Iceland-68418-1.htm Around 300 million kronur (1.8 million euros, 2.3 million dollars) in aid to the country's tourism industry will be provided by Iceland's government. The tourism industry is bracing for mass cancellations due to an ongoing volcano eruption. "The government has decided to provide up to 300 million kronur to assist the tourism industry in Iceland after the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajokull," finance ministry spokesman Huginn Thorsteinsson told AFP. "Now the people in the tourism industry ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Aid-to-Tourism-Industry-for-Volcano-Crisis-Offered-in-Iceland-68418-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Singapore-Hopes-for-Tourism-Boost-With-Second-Casino-68227-1.htm As a post-recession tourism boost and as a means to raising its profile as a playground for the world's high-rollers, city-state Singapore has thrown open the doors of its second casino. The 5.5 billion US dollar Marina Bay Sands, built by US gaming giant Las Vegas Sands, opened at the locally auspicious time of 3:18 pm (0718 GMT). The number eight sounds like the word for prosperity in Chinese. It is Las Vegas Sands' latest big-time bet on the future of Asia's gaming industry and is its first casino in Asia outside Macau....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Singapore-Hopes-for-Tourism-Boost-With-Second-Casino-68227-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Volcano-Eruption-Spurs-Tourism-Boom-In-Iceland-66934-1.htm With lava still gushing Friday, a small Icelandic volcano that initially sent hundreds fleeing from their homes is turning into a boon for the island nation's tourism industry, as visitors flock to catch a glimpse of the eruption. "I hope the eruption continues for a while because it is very good for business," said Ingi Thor Jakobsson, the manager of the Hotel Ranga located near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier where the Fimmvorduhals volcano erupted. "We have the eruption just next door and the view is just amazing....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Volcano-Eruption-Spurs-Tourism-Boom-In-Iceland-66934-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Blood-splattering-Protests-Wreck-Thai-Tourism-66635-1.htm Better known for its white sands and smiles, Thai tourism is taking a battering as the latest gruesome protests in Bangkok have frightened off visitors to the kingdom. Would-be tourists considering massage, temples and spicy food in the Thai capital this week may have been put off by scenes, televised worldwide, of red-clad protesters throwing bottles of their own blood at government offices. The so-called Red Shirts, supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are trying to force snap elections....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Blood-splattering-Protests-Wreck-Thai-Tourism-66635-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hyderabad-Hot-Destination-for-Medical-Tourism-66426-1.htm Chief Minister K Rosaiah has said that Hyderabad is fast becoming a major health tourism center as many foreign patients are opting to get treated here. "Hyderabad has become one of the major health tourism hubs in India as a number of hospitals are providing services at affordable costs. Hundreds of foreigners are showing interest to obtain better health care treatment in Hyderabad hospitals which employ the latest technology and have modern facilities,'' the CM revealed. He was speaking on ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hyderabad-Hot-Destination-for-Medical-Tourism-66426-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Why-Genealogical-Tourism-is-Popular-66016-1.htm A University of Illinois travel expert has said that genealogical tourism is redefining leisure travel market. U. of I. recreation, sport and tourism professor Carla Santos explains: "Genealogical tourism provides an irreplaceable dimension of material reality that's missing from our postmodern society." According to co-author and U. of I. graduate student Grace Yan, going back to the old church where one's great grandparents used to worship in rural Ireland, or buying a loaf of bread from ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Finds-Why-Genealogical-Tourism-is-Popular-66016-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Looks-to-China-for-Aesthetic-Medical-Tourism-Boom-63772-1.htm Beijing entrepreneur Li Jinxun's first trip to Taiwan was a life-changing experience, but not because of the sightseeing. The 46-year-old took advantage of a short trip to the island last month to undergo minor cosmetic surgery at a clinic in Kaohsiung city, something he said had made him feel younger and better looking. "I'm very satisfied. I feel better already," he told AFP. Li, who runs a construction firm, is among a new wave of affluent Chinese eager to fit some nips and tucks ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Taiwan-Looks-to-China-for-Aesthetic-Medical-Tourism-Boom-63772-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/South-Korea-Aims-to-Boost-Medical-Tourism-Market-63723-1.htm It built its economy on ships, steel and semiconductors but now South Korea is pushing a new growth engine, a major share of the world's booming medical tourism market. The government's goal is one million foreign patients a year by 2020 and hospitals have launched aggressive marketing campaigns since they were allowed to advertise for foreign patients under a law that took effect last year. "Today demand for medical services is higher than ever and medical tourism is growing rapidly," Vice ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/South-Korea-Aims-to-Boost-Medical-Tourism-Market-63723-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-On-The-Recovery-Road-60747-1.htm The global tourism sector will post a "moderate recovery" in 2010 following a slump this year due to the recession, with Asia set for the strongest rebound, the UN World Tourism Organisation said Tuesday. "International tourist arrivals are likely to witness a moderate recovery next year, with growth at one to three percent," the Madrid-based body said in its latest bulletin. "Asia will show the strongest rebound, while Europe and the Americas will probably take longer to recover." It ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/World-Tourism-On-The-Recovery-Road-60747-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Space-Tourism-Port-To-Be-Sited-In-Abu-Dhabi-55611-1.htm Tourists will be able to journey to outer space via Abu Dhabi as part of a deal by a local investment group to take a stake in the world's first commercial space travel operator, the two companies said on Tuesday. Aabar Investments said it plans to build a space port in Abu Dhabi, capital of the seven-member United Arab Emirates federation, after agreeing to buy about a 32 percent stake in the holding company of Virgin Galactic for 280 million dollars, valuing the business at around 900 million dollars....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Space-Tourism-Port-To-Be-Sited-In-Abu-Dhabi-55611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Fever-in-China-as-People-Get-Ready-for-Solar-Eclipse-54925-1.htm Tourists are flocking to eastern China in anticipation of having a box seat for the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. According to experts, China is the best place to view the event. The total eclipse, expected to last about six minutes, will pass from southwest China across the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing to Shanghai and Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang province, according to NASA's eclipse website. Tourist agencies, park managers and hotels have been overwhelmed by worldwide ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Tourism-Fever-in-China-as-People-Get-Ready-for-Solar-Eclipse-54925-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Too-Fizzy-South-Koreas-Tourism-Slogan-Sparking-Negative-Response-54792-1.htm South Korea is considering changing its official tourism slogan "Korea, Sparkling" because it sounds too much like a fizzy drink brand, according to the man in charge of promoting the country's's image overseas. The other national slogan "Dynamic Korea" can also give a negative image of violent demonstrations, Thursday's newspapers quoted presidential adviser Euh Yoon-Dae as saying. Euh, who heads the Presidential Council on National Branding, said the tourism association's "Korea, Sparkling" ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Too-Fizzy-South-Koreas-Tourism-Slogan-Sparking-Negative-Response-54792-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fertility-Tourism-Associated-With-Several-Risks-54714-1.htm Dr Alistair McKelvey, of the foetal medicine unit at the University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London and colleagues have warned that women traveling abroad to avail fertility treatments face several risks. Dr McKelvey said that the concept of fertility tourism was an "under recognized and unregulated phenomenon that is likely to increase" as the technology becomes "possibly more attractive outside the UK". The researchers are calling on the government to undertake an effort to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fertility-Tourism-Associated-With-Several-Risks-54714-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Mexico-Invests-Big-To-Revive-Tourism-After-Flu-Scare-51919-1.htm Mexico on Monday launched a multi-million-dollar campaign dubbed "Mexico's alive" to kickstart the tourism sector after swine flu scared away many visitors by killing 80 here. International stars, including Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, Mexican film actor Diego Luna and soccer player Rafael Marquez, from FC Barcelona, are taking part in adverts for the campaign launched by President Felipe Calderon. Calderon said the new campaign involved an unprecedented investment in the country's tourism ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Mexico-Invests-Big-To-Revive-Tourism-After-Flu-Scare-51919-1.htm