Tag Archives: Netherlands

There is an immense scope for cooperation in medical tourism between India and the Netherlands, Union minister of state for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said. The healthcare system in the Netherlands is one of the best in Europe, and there is a lot of potential to integrate traditional knowledge from India, he said at a seminar titled ‘India-Netherlands collaboration in Healthcare, including Ayurveda’ at Leiden. Ayush refers to traditional and non-allopathic medical systems in India. It includes ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha, and homoeopathy. “India is the world’s largest producer of generic medicine and there is wide scope for medical value travel to India, both in conventional and alternative medical treatments such as Ayurveda,” Naik said at the seminar organised by the Indian Embassy in Hague. Emphasising that the scope for cooperation in the health sector between the two countries is immense, he said, “India and the Netherlands can work together closely to promote healthy living.” Asserting that both the countries have top class medical practitioners, Naik said the Netherlands with its 2.25 lakh Indian origin population can lead the way in promoting Indian traditional medicine across Europe. Addressing the seminar, Dutch minister for Medical Care and Sport Bruno Bruins said Ayurveda’s approach for healthcare differs for individuals and being healthy does not only mean being free from illness but also being independent, functional and participating in society. The Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Venu Rajamony, pointed out that the biggest health challenge the Netherlands faces is high costs and the need for care for an ageing population. Source PTI      

Vietnam has expanded its e-visa scheme to cover visitors from six more countries, including major tourism markets like Australia and India, taking the total number of countries now to 46. Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UAE are the other four. Vietnam began allowing tourists from 40 countries to apply for e-visas last February, with China, Japan, South Korea, the US, the UK, Germany and Sweden — all major target markets for its tourism sector, among the 40. Of the six new additions, Australians are the seventh biggest group of foreign arrivals and among the top spenders. Visitors can apply online for a 30-day, single-entry visa by paying a non-refundable application fee. It will take applicants three working days to find out if their visa applications have been approved. Visitors with e-visas can enter through eight international airports, 13 international border gates on land or seven ports. Source: Vietnam News  

Kerala’s highlights as tourism destination were on full display for the Dutch and other European travelers at the five-day Vakantiebeurs 2017, the biggest tourism trade event in the Netherlands. Laidback cruises on serene backwaters and Ayurveda rejuvenation therapies showcased at the Kerala pavilion grabbed attention and generated several inquiries at Vakantiebeurs 2017, which was held in Utrecht from January 10-15 and drew up to 1,08,000 visitors. The pavilion spread over 18 sq m, marked Kerala Tourism’s first appearance at the trade fair which is held annually in the second week of January in Utrecht and provides a gateway to the Dutch and European markets. For Kerala Tourism, the Netherlands is the 11th biggest originating market with 22,276 tourist arrivals registered during 2015, a 40% increase from 2010. “South India is yet to get as much attention in the Dutch market as the north of the country, and Vakantiebeurs was a chance for us to close the gap,” said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran. “Our promotional campaigns in such prestigious fairs will help Kerala compete not just with north Indian destinations but international ones such as Sri Lanka and Thailand.” Kerala Tourism’s pavilion had the theme ‘Slow Down in God’s Own Country’, a nod to the relaxing and rejuvenating offerings of the state. The Dutch are big-time travellers and are keen to gather more information on new destinations, said Dr Venu V, Principal Secretary, Tourism. “Our pavilion attracted many enquiries which we expect to translate into holiday bookings over the next two years,” he added. Surveys show that of the Dutch people who visited the Vakantiebeurs event, 64% were there to gather information on holidays still to be booked and 54 per …

Indians visiting the Netherlands in the past year has crossed the 100,000 mark, informed Carola van Rijn, Project Manager, NBTC Holland Marketing. “There has been a steady rise in Indian travellers the past year and we expect a growth of 30 per cent in 2016,” she said at the Holland Club meeting, held in New Delhi. Along with representatives from Schiphol airport and Jet Airways, Alphonsus Stoelinga, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India was also present on the occasion and highlighted the bond shared between the two countries in terms of investments and trade. The Netherlands is promoting destinations such as Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam etc, apart from the capital, Amsterdam and is also working towards digitalising its visa services. With the relocation of Jet Airways’ hub from Brussels to Amsterdam eight months ago, the move is expected to give a boost to arrival numbers with direct connectivity from Mumbai and New Delhi.