Traditional Medical Practices and Information Technology
A Study on Customer Relationship Management in Ayurveda Tourism
Dr.B.Vijayakumar
Dileep.M.R

Many societies have unique traditions, culture, knowledge and skills that have attracted the interest of the international tourism industry. In India, traditional medicine based on knowledge developed over many centuries has attracted a growing number of visitors seeking alternatives to Western medicine. Ayurveda is one such holistic medicine and in recent years this form of traditional medicine has been promoted as a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) by Kerala, a tiny strip of beautiful landscape in the southern part of India. The Ayurveda system of treatment demands either long term or repeated treatment at periodical intervals to maintain the patient’s health and vitality. To overcome the need for regular physical consultations between patient and practitioners, the Internet has been harnessed to bridge physical distance by using the much shorter cyber distance. In this sense, Ayurveda practitioners in Kerala have been able to bridge the gulf between the ancient and the modern with a form of tourism that uses both physical and cyber travel. This paper uses a Delphi study to establish if it is possible to reach a consensus by experts on issues related to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Ayurveda tourism in the cyber age.

Key Words: Ayurveda, Kerala, Information Technology, Internet, Customer Relationship Management, Cyber tourism.