Ayurveda and wellness tourism stakeholders have decried unscrupulous practices in vogue under the garb of unisex beauty parlours and spas in the State and the rampant misuse of the ‘Ayurveda’ tag.
It will ultimately dent the State’s image as an acclaimed destination for discerning tourists who come seeking Ayurvedic treatments, they say. Earlier this week, Ayurveda Promotion Society (APS) submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking his intervention to curb, among others, sex trade that was being reported from various districts under the garb of Ayurvedic massage at beauty parlours and spas.
The immediate reason to submit the memorandum following its annual general body meeting was that many APS members were aggrieved about such parlours and spas coming up with names that were very much like those of popular Ayurveda hospitals, resorts, and clinics that had been practising Ayurveda in its traditional form, said Sajeev Kurup, its president.
“Even worse, such players are rampantly misusing the ‘Ayurveda’ brand, with the result that the credibility of the ancient form of medicine is at stake. Sex tourism must not be carried out under the garb of Ayurveda. The AYUSH department must bring in necessary regulations in the sector to prevent the misuse of its name. Moreover, students and even others are vulnerable to being exploited by unscrupulous people who run dubious businesses by misusing the name of Ayurveda,” he added.
As per estimates, the two sectors contribute a substantial chunk of the around ₹40,000 crore that the State earned as revenue each year from tourism.
No regulatory powers
Responding to the concerns aired by APS and other Ayurvedic practitioners in the tourism sector, Kerala Tourism (KT) Director P.B. Nooh said unscrupulous practices under the garb of Ayurveda ought to be weeded out. “But KT is a facilitator agency and has little regulatory powers. Nor is there an inspection wing in the agency. The issue was taken up with officials of Local Self-Government and Revenue departments and the police, so that there is a policy-level intervention,” he added.
