Healthy returns
Thakur is one of many foreign travel specialists who are looking to develop their Chinese health tourism resources through the Beijing expo.
"We've seen 70 international buyers from 17 countries, including the United States, Britain, France and Spain, at the expo," says Wu Dan, a manager with Sunny International Communications, the organizer behind the expo.
"Compared with other countries, China has a special advantage in health tourism, as it's rich in traditional Chinese medicine resources," Wu says.
Exhibitors at the expo range from government-accredited health tourism demonstration facilities, to tourism management organizations and medical institutes.
"A considerable number of them have already developed mature health tourism products, and are ready to take in foreign guests," Wu adds.
The increasing public health awareness at home and favorable government guidelines on health tourism have given the domestic health tourism development a shot in the arm.
