Exploring Health Tourism and seizing its opportunitiesDeveloping Medical Tourism in the OIC Member Countries

Virtual meeting, 15TH MEETING OF THE COMCEC TOURISM WORKING GROUP

September 24th, 2020

Medical tourism: Preliminary remarks

• Not too well defined and sketchy data

• Different estimates of size and value

• Fast-growing phenomenon, growing interest from tourists

for prevention and wellness

• Overall importance of adequate healthcare infrastructure

for tourism destinations

• COVID-19 is triggering and accelerating changes: safe

and seamless travel more important than ever!

Health Tourism

Medical Tourism Wellness Tourism

Health TourismForms of tourism which have as a primary motivation the contribution to

physical, mental and spiritual health through medical and wellness-based

activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy their own

needs and function better within their environment and society.

A Global Platform for the Healthcare System

Source: Medical Tourism Association, 2019

Medical tourism: reasons for travelling

• lack of services in home country

• more up-to-date technology

• better quality treatment

• more cost-effective care (incl. from

perspective of insurance companies)

• capacity constraints: avoiding waiting times /

lists

• More informed and savvy consumers

• Privacy

Factors shaping medical tourism• Over-burden health care systems driven by aging population and new lifestyles.

• Urbanization. Mainly chronic diseases.

• Increasing investments (often FDI) in medical tourism, technology, know-how and world

class facilities.

• Quality. World class facilities and services, accreditation/certification, standards.

• Technological developments. For instance laparoscopy.

• Wearables, M-health and e-health: smart solutions can define personal treatment plans.

• Protection of personal health data (i.e. privacy) information and legislation.

• Cross-border Patient Mobility. Especially in the EU.

Opportunities Challenges• Demographic changes

• New Lifestyles

• New segments (youth)

• Product development

• Technological advances, digitalization (digital healthcare, telemedicine) and innovation.

• Growing/pent-up demand

• Domestic and regional tourism

• Regional medical hubs

• Increasing Investment

• Marketing and promotion

• Research and market intelligence

• Trusted certification

• Safety and health protocols

• Accessibility (visas, travel restrictions, connectivity…but also senior segments and people with disabilities)

• Collaboration health + tourism + other entities and public-private partnerships

• Skills & training

• Sustainability (healthcare, wellbeing of citizens and tourists)

• Evolution of the pandemic

• Economic environment: value for money

• Reliable data

• Regulation and Ethics

“IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE REBUILD THE TOURISM SECTOR IN A SAFE, EQUITABLE AND CLIMATE FRIENDLY MANNER” UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Michel JulianTourism Market Intelligence and CompetitivenessUNWTOmjulian@unwto.org