Padmavati Prabhu
Panaji
The Goa Wellness, Ayurveda and Yoga Policy 2026, which was unveiled by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday, aims to regulate the wellness ecosystem in the state apart from giving a boost to wellness tourism by attracting high-end and quality tourists.
The policy is aimed at positioning Goa as a leading national and internationally recognised destination for wellness, Ayurveda and Yoga, offering credible, high-quality and globally benchmarked wellness experiences.
It also seeks to establish a comprehensive regulatory and accreditation framework to govern the establishment, operation and recognition of wellness, Ayurveda and yoga centres within the state. The policy will be applicable to all wellness, Ayurveda and yoga centres operating or proposed to be established in the state. Tourism department will be the nodal agency for implementation, coordination, monitoring and periodic review of the policy.
“Though currently accreditation under this policy will be voluntary, the centres seeking recognition, promotion or inclusion under official Goa tourism initiatives, platforms or branding exercises will be required to comply with the provisions of this policy and obtain the prescribed quality label,” a tourism official said. He said that the policy will oversee the registration, accreditation, quality labelling, operational standards and monitoring mechanisms for these centres.
According to the policy, the state envisions a structured wellness tourism ecosystem integrating preventive healthcare, traditional systems of medicine, holistic therapies, lifestyle wellness and nature-based experiences, while supporting the local livelihoods and promoting balanced development of hinterland and rural areas.
It states that the establishment, regulation and recognition of quality wellness, Ayurveda and yoga centres are key enablers for responsible growth of wellness tourism in Goa.
“The policy will ensure safety, authenticity, service quality and ethical practices across wellness offerings, thereby safeguarding the interests of visitors, practitioners and service providers and also help to identify, regulate and deter unauthorised, unregistered or non-compliant centres in order to protect the reputation of the state and maintain visitor confidence in Goa’s wellness ecosystem,” the policy states.
With regard to the accreditation and licensing framework, the policy will provide for a structured, transparent and tiered accreditation and licensing framework for the wellness, Ayurveda and yoga centres. It will prescribe the minimum eligibility criteria, infrastructure requirements, professional qualifications, service standards and documentation norms for accreditation.
“The policy shall prescribe a mandatory code of conduct governing ethical practices, professional behaviour, transparency in service delivery and protection of consumer interests,” states the policy.
A Goa Wellness, Ayurveda and Yoga Committee shall be constituted for the purpose of overseeing the policy, accreditation and quality assurance. The committee will comprise representatives from the tourism department, health department, Goa council of Ayurvedic and other allied Indian systems of medicine, Department of AYUSH or recognised AYUSH institutions, among others.
