GEOGRAPHICAL, NATURAL-ENVIRONMENTAL DESTINATIONS FOR MEDICAL TOURISM IN MAHARASHTRA: POTENTIALS, CHALLENGES, AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

Maharashtra, India’s second-most populous state, is emerging as a significant center for medical tourism—extending beyond clinical care into nature-based wellness tourism. This research examines the state’s major ecological and geographical regions—hill stations, coastal zones, forested landscapes, and thermal spring areas—and their potential contribution to recuperative medical stays, eco-therapeutic services, and wellness tourism. Drawing on government tourism policy, ecotourism literature, and institutional case studies (e.g., Kaivalyadhama, Malvan–Achara), the study identifies key opportunities, infrastructural and regulatory challenges, and strategic directions for integrating health tourism with natural environments. A sustainable development framework is proposed for promoting and accrediting nature-based medical tourism destinations in Maharashtra.