[Elliot]

Go through any of the tourist brochures which is meant for drawing tourists to God's Own Country. Among the many photographs that talk about the rich wildlife, culture and heritage of the State, you will surely find the photograph of a woman, in traditional Kerala Kasavu saree, massaging a foreigner. And this picture has now become one of the mascots of Kerala Tourism.

You might have very well understood what is conveyed through the photograph. It speaks about the great tradition of Ayurveda and it is marketed well through these brochures, blending with other tourism elements. The recent years have witnessed mushrooming of Ayurvedic spas and Ayurvedic resorts in Kerala and they all aimed at reaping the benefits of the newly emerged kerala ayurveda tourism .

Several five-star hotels and tour operators too included the Ayurvedic Spa facility in their packages for tourists. In short, nowadays, you will never fail to see the above-mentioned photograph on Ayurvedic massage in any of the brochures or marketing materials of giants in the hospitality and tourism sector. And the photograph has all the ingredients to captivate the attention of a tourist. The traditional Kerala attire worn by the masseur will invoke interest in the tourists, reminding him/her of the uniqueness and elegance of Kerala culture and lifestyle . The photograph also captures the lustre of the herbal oil, being applied on the body of the tourist and it creates a desire in the onlookers to undergo a good Ayurvedic oil massage.