Click ahead to learn about popular destinations for health care tourism. Availability of additional benefits including better healthcare, latest technologies, innovative medicines, modern devices, better hospitality, and personalized care are some of the drivers of this market. In recent years, more and more visitors from all over the world choose to combine their vacation with plastic and aesthetic surgery services. Medical tourism history medical news medical articles. Medical tourism in spain low cost spain medical treatment. Malaysia receives a huge percentage of the worlds medical tourism. The site allows you to contact the best hotels and travel agencies, the best cruise yachting and car rental companies alternative tourism and all other tourism related enterprises whose primary concern is to provide highquality services and unparallel hospitality. Jennifer whitlock, rn, msn, fnpc, is a boardcertified family nurse practitioner. Some of the prominent medical tourism destinations across the globe include india, malaysia, thailand, south korea, dubai, singapor. The imtj medical travel award winners 2019 in berlin. Records show that in greece, thousands of years ago, patients came to the healing god asklepios in epidauria. Medical tourism your digital destination for healthcare abroad. Sign up for an imtj country subscription for access, or login if youre already a subscriber.
Medical tourism in thailand and its marketing strategies. Medical tourism greece offers the following medical treatments. Within this section, you will find information on medical tourism numbers, our estimate of inbound and outbound medical tourists where they can be reliably ascertained and news that provides estimates of medical tourism activity in greece. Currently, the capital city of greece, athens is the epicenter of the medical tourism industry in greece in which patients usually seek for high standard medical services as for instance in cosmetic surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, orthopaedics and rehabilitation. Bariatric surgery cardiology checkup exam chest surgery dermatology dialysis gastroenterology gynecology hematology internal medicine nephrology neurology neurosurgery oncology ophthalmology oral surgery orthopaedics otolaryngology plastic surgery pulmonology rehabilitation rheumatoid sports medicine urology spa and wellness. In the 1720s, bath became the first city in england to receive a covered sewage system and was ahead of london for several years. Yet, there has been little effort to systematically synthesize what is known about the effects of this. Medical tourism dates back thousands of years to when greek pilgrims traveled from all over the mediterranean to the small territory in the saronic gulf called epidauria. Medical tourists may pursue medical care abroad for a variety of reasons, such as decreased cost, a recommendation from friends or family, the opportunity to combine medical care with a vacation destination, a preference for.
There are several characteristics that make india an appealing destination for visitors seeking health. Medical tourism involves patients intentionally leaving their home country to access nonemergency health care services abroad. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine. Medical tourism is a growing concept worldwide where people travel to another country for medical treatment at lower cost or to enjoy a vacation along with their treatment. Malaysia malaysia has gained fame as a medical tourism destination because its healthcare is among the worlds best and cheapest.
In greece, both of these services are provided at a very high. Medical tourism in athens, greece athens is the focal city of medical tourism in greece. Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access nonemergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and. Medical tourism in greece medical tourism in greece. Thailand has emerged as a leading medical tourism destination in recent years. Typically, medical tourism involves residents of developed countries seeking medical treatment in developing countries. Medical tourism is a category of travel where people go to another country for medical treatment at lower cost or to enjoy a vacation along with their treatment. Quality medical expertise and cost effectiveness have made some countries like india, singapore, thailand and turkey one of the wellknown places for medical tourism amiri and safariolyaei, 2017. The closest country to greece portugal seems to spend 17% more and the top country france seems to spend 96% more than greece. Greece health tourism over the last couple of decades, there is a new type of holiday that is gradually developing in the country. Medical tourism in germany with the ease of travel in todays increasingly globalized world, more and more people are traveling for medical treatment.
This paper thus takes an exploratory approach to investigate the. This is not medical advice the goal of this article is to provide an overview of the possibilities of medical tourism. There is a gap in terms of per capita healthcare spending, between greece and the countries under consideration. More importantly, there is a lack of empirical studies to evaluate the potential for medical tourism in greece.
You can search the imtj medical travel directory for accreditation and certification providers by country or keyword. High treatment costs and long waiting times versus better options abroad for medical procedures. Destination india 7 growth of middleincome class, with about 62 per cent households falling in this category in 20092010. That number grew to an estimated 750,000 in 2007 and could reach as high as 6 million by 2010. A 20 online survey from us reported that 27% of patients had engaged in some form of medical tourism. Medical tourism in greece greece is an excellent medical tourism destination that combines exquisite natural beauty with a rich cultural heritage. View pdf promoting social responsibility amongst health care users. Save thousands as a medical tourist in these 5 countries. Pdf medical tourism and the role of emedical tourism. Medical institutions within the country are working in tandem with the government to incentivize tourists from within europe as well as beyond it, to visit greece for medical treatments and procedures. Even the ancient civilizations recognized the therapeutic effects of mineral thermal springs and sacred temple baths. History of medical tourism the postrenaissance period towards the end of the renaissance period, aristocrats from around europe continued to swarm to bath for healing and therapeutic cleansing. Mar 14, 2014 medical tourism is booming, with many countries jostling to offer highquality health care at a good price.
While the fully modernized eleftherios venizelos airport makes for an excellent. Destinations for medical tourism in greece wellness medical. Aug 23, 2018 the practice of travelling for health and medical reasons has a long history. Medical tourism accreditation and certification services imtj. Medical tourism, also known as international surgery or surgery abroad, is the. Jordan was ranked by the world bank to be the number one medical tourism provider in the arab region and among the top 5 in the world, as well as being the top medical tourism destination in the middle east and north africa. The main purpose of elitour ngo is to promote health tourism in greece and cooperate with respective international organizations on global issues related to medical tourism. The choice of greece as a destination for plastic surgery is no random at all. Medical tourism and the role of e medical tourism int ermedi aries in greece article pdf available january 2014 with 736 reads how we measure reads. As discussed in this study, we expect that health tourism will develop at an average 2% growth per year, equal to overall eu28 tourism. Medical tourism can be defined as provision of cost effective personal health careprivate medical care in association with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical healthcare and. Medical tourists elect to travel across international borders to receive some form of medical treatment treatments may span the full range of medical services most common. The contribution of medical tourism to the economic and.
Past few years have seen spain gain prominence for its excellent medical system that offers low cost and quality medical treatment for patients from all over the globe. Moreover, greece is one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide. The increase in the number of international patients shows that thailand has great potential for medical tourism and the improvement of its marketing strategies will further increase the image of thailand as a medical tourism. Each individual has a different motivation for seeking medical treatment abroad, but most people travel for one of two reasons. In recent years though, greece has looked to spur its economy on by investing heavily in medical tourism. Medical tourism is a new form of niche tourism increasingly becoming popular in the current world and india has emerged as a popular destination for providing global standards of health care at affordable costs. The existing legislation of greece for the assisted reproduction for couples and single mothers is more favorable in greece, compared to other countries. Medicaltourismgreece provides you with handy information about greece and its extensive tourism potential.
Medical tourism market size, global industry report, 2027. Moreover, medical tourism is forecasted to support the growth of the tourism sector at around 16% per year during 20172020. As medical tourism grows to become a worldwide phenomenon, increasing attention is being paid to issues such as quality of treatment, accreditation and certification of hospitals, clinics and agencies involved in the sector. The health sector in greece has uptodate facilities in terms of both building complexes and equipment in many regions of the country, starting with athens, thessaloniki and crete. Greece global healthcare destination medical tourism. Destinations for medical tourism in greece wellness. Medical tourism is a volatile market that is dependent on legislation and waiting lists in regular healthcare. In chania and heraklion, modern centers of artificial insemination can offer their services to visitors from abroad. The mta works with healthcare providers, governments, insurance companies, employers and other buyers of healthcare in their medical tourism, international patient, and healthcare initiatives with a focus on. Medical tourism accreditation and certification services. The report titled asia medical tourism market and forecast to 2022 provides a comprehensive assessment of the fastevolving, highgrowth medical tourism landscape in asia. Medical tourism, also called health tourism, surgical tourism, or medical travel, international travel for the purpose of receiving medical care. Urbanisation and spread of economic prosperity in the small and large urban areas, employment guarantee programmes for rural population, good telecommunication infrastructure and improved infrastructure such as roads and electricity.
Greece is one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide. Prices greece is the one of the worlds best source of affordable cosmedical care with exceptional health standards. The countrys health care system is divided between public and private institutions. In addition, greece possesses internationally recognised medical and nursing staff, top level hotels that can function in a supportive. Elitour is a member of the international health tourism center. History of medical tourism from ancient times until today. Consumers in search of value, deloitte center for health solutions, 2008 the ecosystem of medical tourism industry. Based on recent statistics, more than 1015% patients from eu states seek healthcare abroad. Medical tourism has increased across the globe, with cosmetic treatment being a key treatment area, facilitating the growth of medical tourism across the region, followed by dental treatment. Spa towns and sanitarium were the form of early medical tourism. Receive your medical treatment while enjoying your stay abroad at greece s top tourist destinations. What is known about the effects of medical tourism in. However, medical tourism is still at its infancy stage in greece skountridaki, 2015 and it has received little attention from the industry players and authorities.
Medical tourism athens, greece athens medical tourism, find a hospital or clinic in athens, greece. The future of healthcare is now medical tourism italy. India is currently promoting medical tourism aggressively. The global medical tourism market size was valued at usd 44. Growth in the popularity of this practice has resulted in a significant amount of attention being given to it from researchers, policymakers, and the media. Ukraine may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think about a location for your medical tourism break, but it was actually the worlds 7th most visited destination in 2008. Moreover, medical tourism italy offer a team of competent counsellors that will always be at your side to make sure that your experience is an allrounder healing journey, with no stress and no hassle with bureaucracy and waiting lists.
It encompasses primarily and predominantly biomedical procedures, combined with travel and tourism. Congratulations to all winners, highly commended and finalists. Italy global healthcare destination medical tourism. Medical tourism in spain there is more to spain than bullfights, flamenco music and dance, exotic beaches and plenty of sunshine. Global medical tourism market size and share analysis to 2025. Within this section, you will find information on medical tourism numbers, our estimate of inbound and outbound medical tourists where they can be reliably ascertained and news that provides estimates of medical tourism activity in thailand. The countrys unique characteristics, history, culture, natural beauty, thousands of islands, rare biodiversity, mild climate, mediterranean gastronomy, its infrastructure and potential for attracting many new forms of tourism enable it to meet the requirements of medical tourism. Medical tourism is defined as traveling to a foreign country to seek medical care. Its slipped down the list since then but has attracted an increasing number of medical tourists. The medical tourism industry has experienced massive growth over the past decade. The report titled singapore medical tourism market and forecast to 2022 provides a comprehensive analysis of the top 16 source market for singapore medical tourism. Bangkok dusit medical services pcls shares have risen 29 percent in 2018, supported by rising demand from thailands aging population as well as an increase in medical tourism. Risks and benefits of medical tourism verywell health. When it comes to regional markets, north america and asiapacific are in the lead and collectively accounted for 63.
Many patients engage in medical tourism because the procedures they seek can be performed in other countries at relatively low cost and without the delay and inconvenience of being placed on a waiting list. Due to the central geographical location and the highquality medical services, many visitors come to greece to combine effective medical treatments plus relaxation in a beautiful country. Medical tourism is part of health tourism and it has a longstanding history, going back to thousands of years. Medical tourism and the role of emedical tourism intermediaries in greece article pdf available january 2014 with 736 reads how we measure reads.
The medical tourism association is a global nonprofit association for the medical tourism and international patient industry. Medical tourism is the term commonly used to describe international travel for the purpose of receiving medical care. In greece you receive top level professional cosmical treatment combined with the famous friendly greek hospitality that leaves you relaxed and free of stress. According to the international healthcare research center ihrc, medical tourism is likely to. Epidauria became the original travel destination for medical tourism. Oct 25, 2011 medical tourism is part of health tourism and it has a longstanding history, going back to thousands of years. Asia pacific accounted for a significant market revenue share in the global medical tourism market for 2018 and is projected to show a similar trend until. The impeccable medical and hospital conditions available, the highquality treatments and procedures, in addition to the opportunity of recovering in an amazing resort, make greece a fantastic option for medical tourism.
Singapore medical tourism market and forecast to 2022. Greece constitutes one of the top destinations for what is called medical tourism, in other words for providing health services to people who dont reside in greece. Malaysia has both public and private healthcare with medical expertise equal to or better than that in most western countries. Our guide to medical tourism worldwide helps you to decide which is the best destination and healthcare provider for your needs, and provides practical advice about going overseas for surgery, dentistry or other kinds of treatment. Medical tourism in greece greece health care system. This is the direct result of the worldclass urban infrastructure and more than adequate social amenities that are made available to medical tourists who visit the region. Medical tourism is a fast growing multibilliondollar industry around the world and it entails trade in services of two major industries i. Jordan global healthcare destination medical tourism. Medical tourism is becoming a popular option for tourists across the globe. Medical tourism chapter 9 2020 yellow book travelers. Whereas, wellness tourism accounts for roughly twothirds to. Scott sundick, md, is a boardcertified vascular and endovascular surgeon. The medical tourism index mti is a new type of countrybased performance measure to assess the attractiveness of a country as a medical tourist destination. The present study presents an overview of medical tourism in india and.
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