MTDC plans to collaborate with hospitals in city to advertise exotic locales to foreigners who come here to get treated
MTDC plans to collaborate with hospitals in city to advertise exotic locales to foreigners who come here to get treated
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The next time you get admitted at a hospital, there are chances that along with your medication you will be given information about exotic locales in the state. That is if the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) plans work out to fruition.
In a hope to boost tourism in the state, MTDC officials are now looking towards hospitals and health care centres as a large pool of potential tourists.
Authorities say that once they collaborate with hospitals, they will distribute brochures, leaflets and other promotional materials and perhaps even set up an enquiry counter bookings and other information there.
When asked to further elaborate, an official said that over the last five years, Maharashtra had transformed into an medical destination attracting several foreigners from countries like US, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for health care with world-class hospitals touting top of the line diagnostic and treatment facilities being available at much lower costs than compared to the West.
"Our plans are still in the conceptual stage and we have to work out an arrangement with the hospitals who attract foreign patients. We can also work out discount schemes for hospitals patients, who want to tour the state," said Kiran Kurundkar, Managing Director of MTDC.
Another official added that hospitals would enable them to reach out to a large chunk of tourists, which will enable them to market Maharashtra as a land of rejuvenation and recuperation.
"Medical tourism has taken off in a big way and top hospitals in the city host large number of foreigners including Europeans and Americans who come to Mumbai annually to get treated. Our target audience will be the patient who travels overseas for a minor ailment and gets discharged soon," said an official.
The official also added that the MTDC plans to keep brochures at the help desks in hospitals giving information on various tourist places in the state that they can visit during the stay in the state.
Luring them in
The hospitals in the city, which attract large number of foreigners are Jaslok, Hinduja, Bombay, Fortis, Hiranandani, Kokilaben and Lilavati.
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