Bangalore: Health tourism is going to be the new focus of Karnataka Tourism with the state all set to participate in the four-day long Global Health Exhibition in Bahrain from September 30, a top official of the Tourism Department said.

There is "immense potential" for health tourism in the state as Bangalore, besides its rich cultural heritage, is also known for its super-speciality hospitals providing quality healthcare, Mahendra Jain, Tourism Commissioner and Managing Director, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), said.

Karnataka Tourism Department will participate in the exhibition along with leading hospitals in the state including Narayana Hrudayalaya, Sagar Apollo, Manipal Hospital and other private organisations like Soukhya (Holistic) and Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre (IVAC), he said.

A number of patients from UK, US and Middle East are coming to Bangalore to avail the health facilities here as the "costs are almost 50 per cent less with top-class expertise and we see it as a good time to capitalise on the opportunity," he said.

Karnataka also has facilities in other streams of medicines like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Alternate Medicine and Naturopathy and these can be combined to provide an integrated healthcare package, he said.

During the exhibition, the Tourism Department will bring out a special health brochure to promote Karnataka and especially Bangalore as a health destination, Jain added.

PTI