On the Caribbean island of Barbados, the idea of health and wellness tourism is gaining popularity. Many businesses have been set up to offer services and treatments that cater to health, beauty and wellness. Such services include acupuncture, reflexology, yoga, reiki, ear candling, and fitness. They can be provided by medical practitioners or experts from local health spas. The Barbadian government is promoting and encouraging their health and wellness tourism.

Asian economies are expected to fully recover from effects of the global recession, with the medical tourism and retirement sectors touted as sunrise industries that will propel the economic growth of the region.

Although there have been no reported cases of influenza A in the Caribbean, individual destinations have stepped up measures to help ensure that infected visitors do not enter the country.

Spain-based RIU Hotels & Resorts said there are no cases of influenza A at any of the company’s Mexico properties. The protocol instructions have long been in existence at RIU, but are only implemented in times of need.

Although the Caribbean has yet to be affected by the influenza A, John Maginley, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), says the Caribbean is taking every precaution.

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s president and CEO, said his organization is monitoring the influenza A situation as it develops, together with –and on behalf of- its members, and is in close contact with the World Health Organization (WHO), which is co-coordinating the global response and assessing the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic.