health tourism

What is health tourism and why is it growing?

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Health tourism is a growing trend around the world. But what is health tourism and why is it so popular? Read on to find out…

What is health tourism?

The growth of health tourism, why is health tourism important, health tourism activities, health tourism- further reading.

Health tourism is a tricky one to define. It is more of an umbrella term, encompassing both wellness tourism and medical tourism. These two types of tourism may seem quite different, but they both fundamentally have health at their core. So, health tourism can be defined as follows:

Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy their own needs and function better as individuals in their environment and society.

This definition comes from an executive summary published by the World Tourism Organization and the European Travel Commission in 2018. As you can see, the exploration of health tourism in itself is a relatively new idea. The two organisations also provided the following definitions of wellness and medical tourism respectively:

Wellness tourism is a type of tourism activity which aims to improve and balance all of the main domains of human life including physical, mental, emotional, occupational, intellectual and spiritual. The primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy eating, relaxation, pampering and healing treatments.       

Medical tourism is a type of tourism activity which involves the use of evidence-based medical healing resources and services (both invasive and non-invasive). This may include diagnosis, treatment, cure, prevention and rehabilitation.   

There are many reasons as to why health tourism as an industry is growing. People are keener than ever to put their health and wellbeing first – especially now we are 2 years into a global pandemic. As a population , we are more aware now than ever before how our health can hang in the balance. And just knowing this, coupled with all of the other changes brought about by the pandemic as well as the general ease of accessing information, mean that life is generally more stressful. So it is no wonder that we are looking for wellness trips to calm and soothe ourselves – and to affordable and accessible medical procedures that may be unavailable at home…

The UK sees health tourism as a distinct and negative phenomenon. The media uses the term to refer to people who travel to the UK deliberately in order to access free medical treatment from the National Health Service. This is seen as leeching off the state, and as you can imagine is particularly frowned upon by many in the country. However, reports show that the government estimates ‘health tourism’ costs the NHS only £300m annually – or 0.3% of their budget! But due to this, new laws are in place to charge people who do not ‘ordinarily reside’ in the UK if they use the NHS.

Health tourism is important for many reasons. Looking at it from an economical point of view, it provides a boost to local economies when people travel to a destination for any reason. So heading to a summer yoga retreat in Santorini or getting some dental work done in Turkey is contributing to the local economy. And it’s not just the cost of your treatment or stay – you will also purchase food and drink, maybe even souvenirs. You might extend your trip and do some sightseeing with local tour companies too. All of these things mean a cash injection for the area and its inhabitants.

Linked to this is that health tourism often provides a cheaper opportunity to do something you were going to do at home. Travelling for optional surgery or going to a small spa in a remote village might be much cheaper than doing so in your home country. In this way, health tourism actually provides people with a way to save money.

Health tourism is also important as it is a reflection of my earlier point – people are taking more of an interest in their health. Regardless of whether it’s wellness tourism or medical tourism, health tourists are travelling with the primary focus of improving their mind, body or life in some way. This is obviously a positive factor for society.

As health tourism combines wellness and medical tourism, the activities it involves are anything which falls under these categories. Essentially, anything you do as a tourist which is aimed at improving your health is classed as health tourism. See a list of activities below:

• Dental/dentistry
• Orthopedics
• Cosmetic/plastic surgery
• Bariatric surgery 
• Fertility treatment
• Eye surgery
• Ears, nose and throat
• Organ transplants
• Rehabilitation
• Alternative medication access
• Yoga retreats
• Writing retreats
• Meditation centres
• Weight loss or healthy eating retreats
• Sensory deprivation

Popular health tourism destinations

There are many destinations you can visit as a health tourist. Your home country may also be a health tourism location for people from other countries. It is all contextual and subjective, depending on what exactly you are looking to get out of your trip…

This is a popular place for health tourism – particularly when it comes to wellness. With its geothermal pools, breathtaking scenery, infinity pools and mountain hiking areas the options are endless! A very popular part of Iceland for wellness activities is Myvatn Nature Baths, where the alkaline in the water has a lot of minerals and is incredibly beneficial for the treatment of skin conditions. Because of this, it can also be seen as a destination which works for medical purposes – making it a dead cert for health tourism.

Ever heard of the saying ‘Turkey teeth’? It doesn’t come from nowhere! The reason this term exists is because many people (particularly younger people, celebrities, and influencers) flock to Turkey to have dental treatment done for cosmetic purposes. They want straighter, whiter and brighter teeth. Something like this might cost double or triple in the UK, for example, than what it would in Turkey. Plus, visitors get to combine their trip with sun, sea and sand!

India is a big one for health tourism as it has a big wellness tourism industry combined with many options for medical tourists to have cheaper procedures done. Being such a spiritual country, it is no wonder that people come here for wellness purposes. The Indian government readily promotes the country as a hub for yoga, Sidha, naturopathy and Ayurveda – citing the ‘spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the Indian way of life’. There are retreats right across the country, particularly in countryside areas but also in the bustling cities which mean it works for both primary AND secondary wellness tourism.

Primary wellness tourism is when someone’s whole trip is focused on wellness; it is their sole reason for travel, and the major component of their trip. Every aspect of their holiday is tailored to wellness. Secondary wellness tourism is when general tourists incorporate some aspect of wellness (a massage on the beach during an all-inclusive Mexican vacation) into their holiday.

India is also a huge destination when it comes to medical tourism. Locations such as Chennai, Maharashtra and Kerala are really popular for medical procedures, with costs being about one tenth of those in either the UK or the USA. Medical tourists travel to India for alternative medicine, cardiac procedures, bone-marrow transplants, eye surgery and hip replacements in particular.

Beautiful Hawaii is like one big spa in itself. Primary wellness tourists visit here in droves to experience the therapeutic salt water, the laid back atmosphere, the glorious sunshine and the traditional practices of omilomi massage and pohaku (hot stone treatment). With scenery that will leave you lost for words, it is one of the most relaxing places in the world which is why wellness tourism is so big here – and so, by extension, is health tourism.

This stunning country has cutting edge technology and beautiful spaces to relax – making it ideal for health tourism encompassing both wellness and medical tourism. People tend to head here for small elective surgeries, choosing to get the procedure done for a lower price and recover somewhere beautiful! And there are so many options for wellness tourists, too. From Thai massage parlours to serene meditation retreats on beaches where the sunsets are bright pink and shiny gold, you couldn’t ask for somewhere more suited to a relaxing wellness trip.

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

• All Regions
• Exploring Health Tourism

The ETC/UNWTO publication on Exploring Health Tourism aims to provide a better understanding of the growing segment of wellness and medical tourism. The study introduces the evolution of health-related tourism products and services from all around the world and provides insights into the current situation of the industry, as well as the future potential. It also includes a comprehensive taxonomy that serves as a common reference for tourism destinations operating in this field, as well as a practical toolkit to assist NTOs and DMOs with their planning and management of health-related tourism activities.

Click here   for the Executive Summary of this publication.

ISBN : 978-92-844-2020-9

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Am news | vol. 64 may 2024, africa news issue 23, un tourism news 82: sustainable development of tourism, am news | vol. 63 april 2024.

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Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care

Traveling to another country to get medical care can be risky. Learn about the risks and how to minimize them.

Traveling Internationally for Medical Care

Each year, millions of US residents travel to another country for medical care which is called medical tourism. Medical tourists from the United States most commonly travel to Mexico and Canada, and to several other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The reasons people may seek medical care in another country include:

• Cost: To get a treatment or procedure that may be cheaper in another country
• Culture: To receive care from a clinician who shares the traveler’s culture and language
• Unavailable or unapproved procedures: To get a procedure or therapy that is not available or approved in the United States

The most common procedures that people undergo on medical tourism trips include dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment.

Medical Tourism Can Be Risky

The risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good health for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase a traveler’s risk of complications include:

Infectious Diseases.  All medical procedures have some risk of infection. Complications from procedures performed in other countries include wound infections, bloodstream infections, donor-derived infections (in the case of transplantations or transfusions), and diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Antimicrobial resistance.   Highly drug-resistant bacteria and fungi have caused disease outbreaks among medical tourists. Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs develop the ability to not respond to drugs such as antibiotics used to treat infections. Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. Healthcare facilities in another country may not have adequate infection control practices and medical tourists could be at risk for getting a drug-resistant infection.

Quality of Care. Some countries’ requirements for maintaining licensure, credentialing, and accreditation may also be less than what would be required in the United States. In some countries, counterfeit medicines and lower quality medical devices may be used.

Communication challenges. Communicating with staff at the destination and healthcare facility may be challenging. Receiving care at a facility where you do not speak the language fluently could lead to misunderstandings about your care.

Air Travel.  Flying after surgery can increase the risk for blood clots, including  deep vein thrombosis . Delaying air travel for 10-14 days following major surgeries, particularly those involving the chest, will minimize risks associated with changes in atmospheric pressure.

Continuity of Care.  Travelers may need to get health care in the United States if they develop complications after returning. Follow-up care for complications might be expensive. Treatment might be prolonged and might not be covered by your health insurance.

How You Can Minimize Medical Tourism Risks

Research the clinician and facility.

• Check the qualifications of the clinician who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the facility where the procedure will be done. Accrediting groups, including Joint Commission International, DNV GL International Accreditation for Hospitals, and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, have lists of standards that healthcare facilities need to meet to be accredited. Please note that all surgeries carry the risk of complications and accreditation does not guarantee a positive outcome.
• If you go to a country where you do not speak the language, determine ahead of time how you will communicate with your clinician and others who will be caring for you.

Before you travel

• Get a pretravel consultation. See your healthcare provider or a travel medicine clinician at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and learn about specific risks you may face because of your health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure.
• Obtain international  travel health insurance  that covers medical evacuation back to the United States.
• Find out what activities are not recommended around the time of the medical procedure, such as swimming or hiking, and plan accordingly.

Maintain your health and medical records

• Bring copies of your medical records with you, including results of lab tests and other tests related to your condition and care. Inform the medical staff at your destination of allergies you may have.
• Pack a  travel health kit  with your prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their original packaging. Bring enough medicine to last your whole trip, plus a little extra in case of delays. Also, bring copies of all your prescriptions and a list of medications you take, including their brand names, generic names, manufacturers, and dosages.
• Get copies of all your medical records from the medical facility at your destination before you return home. You may need to get them translated into English.

Arrange for follow-up care before you travel

• Identify where you will be staying immediately after the procedure.
• Make sure you can get any needed follow-up care in the United States. Follow-up care for medical complications can be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance. Travelers considering procedures outside the United States should understand the potential financial costs associated with follow-up care or emergency care in the event of complications, review their health insurance policies to determine what, if anything, is covered and plan for the possibility of paying for additional care out-of-pocket.
• Supplemental travel health insurance may also be available to cover follow-up or emergency care from procedures received abroad.

Related Resources

• CDC Yellow Book: Medical Tourism
• American Medical Association Ethical Guidance on Medical Tourism
• Organization for Safety, Asepsis, & Prevention's Traveler’s Guide to Safe Dental Care
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery guidelines for travelers
• International Travel (US Department of State)
• Your Health Abroad (US Department of State)

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Health Tourism: Exploring the Industry, Types, and Top Destinations

April 23, 2023.

Health tourism, also referred to as medical tourism or wellness tourism, is a rapidly growing sector within the global tourism industry. It encompasses a diverse range of activities and services, all aimed at improving or maintaining an individual's health and well-being. This article presents an overview of the health tourism industry, discusses different types of health tourism, examines the top 100 destinations, and provides insights into the number of travelers engaging in health tourism. ‍

Definition of Health Tourism

Health tourism is broadly defined as the practice of individuals traveling outside their country of residence to seek medical treatments, procedures, or wellness experiences. The motivations behind such travel may vary but often include factors such as cost savings, access to specialized treatments, shorter waiting times, or the opportunity to combine medical procedures with leisure travel. ‍

Types of Health Tourism

• Medical Tourism: This category of health tourism focuses on individuals that travel for medical treatments and procedures abroad. Common medical treatments sought by medical tourists include elective surgeries, dental treatments, fertility treatments, and cosmetic procedures. Often, providers offer medical tourism packages that include treatment costs, physician fees, ground transportation and, in some cases, hotel accommodation.
• Wellness Tourism: Wellness tourism, on the other hand, emphasizes the pursuit of well-being through activities and experiences that promote physical, mental, and spiritual health. Examples include spa treatments, yoga retreats, and mindfulness workshops.
• Preventative Healthcare Tourism: This type of health tourism revolves around the concept of proactive health management. Travelers in this category may seek routine medical check-ups, diagnostic tests, or alternative medical treatments to prevent potential health issues.

Top Destinations for Health Tourism

While it is beyond the scope of this article to provide an exhaustive list of the top health and medical tourism destinations; some notable countries and regions have emerged as leaders in this industry, particularly for combining medical and wellness services. These include:

• Thailand: Renowned for its state-of-the-art medical facilities and cost-effective treatments, Thailand has become a popular destination for medical tourists from around the world.
• India: With its combination of advanced healthcare infrastructure, skilled medical professionals, and affordable treatment options, India has emerged as a prominent player in the health tourism sector.
• Singapore: Known for its high-quality healthcare system, Singapore attracts health tourists seeking top-notch medical treatments and wellness experiences.
• Turkey: Offering high-quality medical care at competitive prices, Turkey has become a preferred destination for health tourists, particularly for cosmetic procedures and dental treatments.
• Hungary: Hungary is well-known for its dental and medical spa tourism, thanks to its high-quality services and natural thermal springs.
• Costa Rica: This Central American country has made a name for itself in the medical tourism industry by providing affordable, high-quality healthcare services in a beautiful natural setting.
• South Korea: Boasting world-class healthcare infrastructure and cutting-edge medical technology, South Korea is a top destination for cosmetic surgery and advanced medical treatments.
• Malaysia: Offering a range of healthcare services at competitive prices, Malaysia has become a popular destination for medical and wellness tourism in     Southeast Asia.
• Brazil: With its expertise in cosmetic surgery and dental treatments, Brazil attracts health tourists from across the globe.
• Spain: Spain's modern healthcare infrastructure and affordable treatment options make it an attractive destination for European health tourists.

Travelers Engaging in Health Tourism

The number of travelers engaging in health tourism has been steadily increasing in recent years. According to the Medical Tourism Association, the global medical tourism industry was valued at $58.6 billion in2020, with an estimated 14 million patients traveling for medical treatments each year. This figure is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)of 12% through 2025, reaching an estimated market value of $142.2 billion.

Wellness tourism, on the other hand, has also witnessed significant growth in recent years. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness tourism market was worth $639 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5%, reaching $919 billion by 2022. This growth is driven by the increasing global demand for health and wellness experiences, as well as the rise in disposable incomes and greater awareness of preventive healthcare measures.

Several factors have contributed to the growth of health tourism. Some of these include:

Cost Savings: One of the main driving forces behind the growth of health tourism is the potential for significant cost savings. The cost of medical treatments and procedures can vary dramatically between countries due to factors such as labor costs, government subsidies, and differences in the cost of living. By traveling to countries with lower healthcare costs, health tourists can save a considerable amount of money. For example, a heart bypass surgery in the United States may cost around $100,000,while the same procedure in India could cost approximately $7,000. These cost savings can be particularly attractive for patients who are uninsured, underinsured, or require elective procedures that are not covered by insurance.

Access to Specialized Treatments: Another factor driving health tourism is the opportunity to access specialized treatments that may not be available or have limited availability in one's home country. This can be due to a lack of cutting-edge medical technology, a shortage of medical professionals with specialized skills, or restrictive regulations on certain treatments. Health tourists may choose to travel abroad to receive state-of-the-art care or treatments that are considered experimental or unapproved in their home country.

Shorter Waiting Times: In some countries, patients may face long waiting times for certain medical treatments or procedures due to factors such as limited healthcare resources or high demand. These waiting times can be particularly challenging for patients with chronic pain, deteriorating conditions, or urgent medical needs. Health tourism offers the opportunity for patients to bypass these waiting times and receive the necessary treatments more quickly. For example, a patient in the United Kingdom may face a waiting period of several months for a hip replacement surgery, while the same procedure could be readily available in countries such as Spain or Turkey.

Higher Quality of Care: Some health tourists perceive that the quality of care in another country may be higher than what is available in their home country. This perception can stem from factors such as the reputation of the destination country's healthcare system, the use of advanced medical technology, or the expertise of the medical professionals. For example, Singapore is renowned for its world-class healthcare system, attracting health tourists seeking top-notch medical treatments and wellness experiences. Additionally, countries like South Korea have gained a reputation for excellence in cosmetic surgery, drawing patients from around the world to receive high-quality care from skilled surgeons.

Combining Medical Procedures with Leisure Travel: Health tourism also offers the unique opportunity for individuals to combine medical treatments or wellness experiences with leisure travel. Many health tourists choose to extend their stay in the destination country to explore the local culture, visit tourist attractions, or simply relax and recuperate in a beautiful setting. This combination of medical and leisure travel can contribute to the overall well-being of the patient and enhance their recovery process. For example, a patient undergoing dental treatment in Costa Rica might also take the time to visit the country's beautiful beaches, rainforests, and national parks during their stay.

Health tourism has emerged as a significant sector within the global tourism industry, fueled by factors such as cost savings, access to specialized treatments, and a growing focus on wellness and preventative healthcare. As the industry continues to expand, more countries are investing in their healthcare infrastructure to attract health tourists, offering a wide range of medical and wellness services to meet the diverse needs of these travelers. With the increasing popularity of health tourism, it is essential for healthcare providers, governments, and tourism organizations to work together to ensure the highest standards of care and services for health tourists while promoting sustainable and responsible practices within the industry.

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Gha standards accredited by isqua.

A Global Authority in Medical Tourism Accreditation

Medical travel facilitator certification.

GHA’s Medical Travel Facilitator Certification is conducted online and focuses on validating the capacity of facilitator companies to provide appropriate services to clients that enhance safety and patient experience along the entire Medical Travel Care Continuum (patient journey) as appropriate to the to the particular healthcare provider and the facilitator company’s business model.

Released in July 2020 ‍ Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021

The one and only comprehensive analysis of the Medical Travel industry is back with its third edition, at a critical juncture in the history of healthcare. The Medical Tourism Index (MTI) ranks American perceptions of 46 international healthcare destinations, providing insight into how consumers view 41 criteria across three primary dimensions, including Destination Attractiveness, Safety, and Quality of Care.

Watch the Video

2020-2021 MTI Overview

Click on a region to explore further or purchase the report for access to all of the data tools..

Middle East

(try turning your phone to landscape to better select destinations)

2020-2021 MTI Overall Ranking

The mti reports.

The Medical Tourism Index brings you its third edition. The MTI 2014-2015 assessed the attractiveness of 25 countries as medical tourism destinations. In 2016-2017, the MTI expanded to 41 destinations across five regions, doubling the size of the sampling. The 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index comes at a time where the industry, and the entire world, has been changed forever by COVID-19. The 2020-20121 MTI addresses this very question.

MTI Tools Access

The Medical Tourism Index includes special member access that unlocks data for comparison of destinations by year, by dimension, and much more.

Top 5 Destinations

The Winning 5 of 2020-2021

Dimensions of Measurement

The Medical Tourism Index considers three primary factors as the drivers of medical tourism, and each of the three factors has a subset of items that allows a more detailed comparison in order to measure each destination’s attractiveness and brand awareness as a medical tourism destination.

Destination Environment

Medical Tourism Industry

Quality of facilities & services, destination ranking.

The development of the MTI was a multi-year, multi-step, multi-stakeholder approach. Our research methodology followed a rigorous eight-step approach that included methodological, statistical, and index construction procedures to develop this psychometric, sound measurement tool used by healthcare executives and government officials from around the world.

• THE SURVEY The data was gathered by conducting a national survey with 3,030 Americans of every age, gender, education level, and socioeconomic status.
• THE REPORT The 100+ page report includes 46 Destinations that with statistical evaluation and commentary on each.
• ONLINE DATA TOOLS Included with the purchase of the MTI is a member access portal that provides users with the ability to compare data between destinations through a variety of dimensions and plot custom charts and graphs.

Demonstrate the Economic Impact of Medical Tourism in your Destination

The Medical Tourism Calculator (MTC) is an adaptable tool used by all industry stakeholders to demonstrate the total economic impact of a medical travel program. Important factors like job creation and tax revenue, as well as the impact on hospitality and tourism, have been less emphasized in medical tourism forecasts.

• Provides data on the impact of healthcare tourism
• Provides the current economic impact of medical tourism in your region
• Provides a forecast of the total economic impact of medical travelers

Purchase the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index

About the developers.

Renée-Marie Stephano

Renée-Marie Stephano is president and founder of the Medical Tourism Association® and editor-in-chief of Medical Tourism Magazine® and the Health and Wellness Destination Guide Series of books. Ms. Stephano has authored several books from “Developing International Patient Centers, Best Practices in Facilitation,” to “Medical Tourism for Insurers and Employers,” and the most recent, “Engaging Wellness ~ Corporate Wellness Programs that Work.” Her articles have been published in publications all over the world. Most recently she co-authored an article which was peer reviewed and published in Tourism Management Academic Journal. Ms. Stephano is an attorney and specializes in working with governments and hospitals to develop sustainable medical tourism/international patient programs and strategies. To that end she provides consultancy to organizations all over the world. She deals directly with ministers of health, tourism and economic development to establish public-private partnerships that support medical tourism and, at the same time, provide a benefit and return to the local community. Ms. Stephano has performed feasibility studies for cities, nations and hospitals worldwide in which she has relayed opportunities for international expansion, clinical development and affiliations and partnerships. She also consults governments in the development of sustainable medical tourism zones & free healthcare zones. Ms. Stephano is a keynote speaker at international conferences, has spoken at hundreds of events and is a featured source of reference on issues related to health, travel and tourism for media outlets around the world. She is the Executive Director of the International Healthcare Research Center, a 501c(3) organization dedicated to research in medical tourism, wellness travel and corporate wellness. IHRC is the publisher of the Medical Tourism Index (MTI). ‍

Dr. Marc Fetscherin

Dr. Marc Fetscherin is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Rollins College (FL), United States. His expertise is in international marketing with a specialization on marketing strategy, marketing research and branding with a specific focus on global brand management, corporate branding, human brands, consumer brand relationships, and destination branding. Previously, he was a Fellow at Harvard University as well as a researcher at the University of California Berkeley. He taught or teaches MBA and executive MBA courses at various institutions worldwide such as East China University of Science and Technology (China), the Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), Jacobs University(Germany), the University of Lausanne, HEC (Switzerland) or the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He won multiple teaching and research awards. He has extensive international experience and lived and traveled to over 30 destinations. He speaks 5 languages (German, English, French. Spanish, Russian). Previous his academic career he was a consultant for McKinsey & Company and CEO of a Swiss luxury company. He was also a member of the Federal Commission ofConsumer Affairs, an advisory body for the Swiss Government. He has published 3 books, multiple book chapters and journal articles. His articles have appeared in peer reviewed journals such as Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Market Research, International Marketing Review, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Brand Management, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Management International Review, International Business Review, or Tourism Management among others. He is in the editorial board of the Journal of Brand Management and the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. He is also an Expert for the Association of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.

MedicalTourism.com

MedicalTourism.com is a free, confidential, independent resource for patients and industry providers. Our mission is to provide a central portal where patients, medical tourism providers, hospitals, clinics, employers, and insurance companies can all find the information they need. Our site focuses on patients looking for specific knowledge in the fields of medical tourism, dental tourism, and health tourism.

Authoritative guidance, training and insights on the business of health tourism

Established in 2003, the Center for Health Tourism Strategy was created by Dr Maria Todd. Dr Todd believes that education and professional development has the power to enable, empower and change lives. She designed the CHTS Training Institute as a for profit social enterprise dedicated to making access possible for anyone, anywhere, at any time with free and paid online study at every level. Dr Todd is a catalyst for positive social change, creating opportunity, prosperity, and access for all interested in the business of health tourism and she has invested time, money and investment to fill a market need for authoritative guidance, training and insights on the business of health tourism and medical travel.

Look first to the center for health tourism strategy for reliable and authoritative resources and recommended public policies for the business of health tourism, on this website you'll find an abundance of resources, including informative articles to read and exercises to complete that will help you plan, launch, market and operate a medical tourism business. all free all created or curated by maria todd., many of the resources available on the chts website are privately held and are open access as an industry resource to all visitors and users without cost.  there are some resources and materials and certification that are available for a modest fee. the contents of this website are mostly without charge - but it is still a business - one that is socially-focused. materials found on the medicaltourismstrategy.com website are not in the  public domain and are not authorized for duplication or posting on other websites without express written consent from dr maria todd.  the site is a social enterprise and is sustained and supported by advertising, merchandise, training courses and master classes, and the sale of certificates of competency, should a website user choose to purchase one..

To the extent possible, Maria Todd is committed to equality and access to skills training and education. She has created and curated learning resources into this broad repository to meet the many diverse needs of the health tourism industry. Her commitment to learning and professional development is inspired by UN Article 26 of the 1946 Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "Education shall be free...". Maria believes in social impact and that one can build a business by focusing on meeting a global social need and providing skills and education training in health tourism business development widely accessible for all concerned. The better we are trained, the higher value to clients and patients we can provide for their safety, quality, and access to healthcare.

PAID TRAINING AND MASTER CLASS EVENTS

From time to time, CHTS offers training courses and Master Classes led by competent industry professionals with decades of experience in health tourism business development. Access to specialised courses is available to anyone by payment of the posted registration fee(s). Visa and invitation letters are provided after registration. If your visa is denied by the event destination immigration authorities, a full refund will be timely provided by the same method of payment, without administrative penalties or withholds. Start the process as early as possible!

Complete fee-based health tourism business development training and private one-on-one coaching is available from Maria Todd and other practicing experts through the Center for Health Tourism Strategy.  Please call or write for information on pricing and availability. Each consultant is a working professional. Consulting is offered on a limited availability basis subject to pre-existing commitments and client assignments. Fees and calendars are set individually by each expert.  None of the consultants offer time, travel or expertise without compensation for professional services, in advance or on a retained basis.

A new certification for Qualified Health Tourism Coordinator ® (QHTC) for internal staffers and external contractors of hospitals, surgical centers, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts and covers competencies required for health tourism business success and patient care continuity and travel coordination became available in 2020.  The Certification Courses are available online after payment of registration fees and require testing for competency after each module is completed. Credit by exam is also available for practicing health and hospitality and travel professionals for each module. To learn more, contact the Center for Health Tourism Strategy at +1.800.727.4160 or send an email .

Educate. Advocate. Engage.

Health tourism enhances overall traveler spending, generates tourism-related tax revenues, provides significant tax relief per household, creates jobs at every skill level, and attracts top medical talent and advanced technologies to the community for local healthcare., health tourism defined.

Health tourism is an experiential product that offers an unforgettable visitor experience. It is produced by combining carefully coordinated travel to a destination, an opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of its people, its culture and its history, the rest and rejuvenation of its accommodations, the unique flavors and recipes of local and regional gastronomy, and the precision and compassion its health services providers working collaboratively. Together, they produce the elements to create a unique visitor experience and story-telling value that will be shared for generations.

9 Key Health Tourism Development Pillars

Design and Deploy Successful Health Tourism Clusters™

Learn from Maria Todd in this two-day hands-on Workshop designed to help government and public and private sector health tourism sector stakeholders design, organize and operate supporting health tourism cluster organizations for organized, transparent and successful economic development and jobs creation.

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Health Tourism Keynote Speaker

Maria is the leading industry consultant in health tourism destination development with more experience in more destinations than any other subject matter expert. She blogs heavily, and speaks at events worldwide. She is the author of 7 internationally-published professional and trade books on health and wellness tourism business development.

Invite her to deliver the keynote address for your upcoming tourism industry event. She'll share practical advice and lessons learned and inspire your audience. She explain how to add health and/or wellness tourism to your destination to enhance overall traveler spending, generate tourism-related tax revenues, provide significant tax relief per household, create jobs at every skill level, and attract top medical talent and advanced technologies to the community for local healthcare.

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The CDC issues new rules for bringing dogs into the U.S., aimed at keeping out rabies

Traveling internationally with a dog — or adopting one from abroad — just got a bit more complicated. The CDC issued new rules intended to reduce the risk of importing rabies. mauinow1/Getty Images/iStockphoto hide caption

Traveling internationally with a dog — or adopting one from abroad — just got a bit more complicated. The CDC issued new rules intended to reduce the risk of importing rabies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new rules Wednesday aimed at preventing dogs with rabies from coming into the United States.

Under the new regulations, all dogs entering the U.S. must appear healthy, must be at least six months old, must have received a microchip, and the owner must verify the animal either has a valid rabies vaccine or has not been in a country where rabies is endemic in the last six months.

Dogs coming from a country that is considered at high risk for rabies and who received a rabies vaccine from another country must meet additional criteria. Those include getting a blood test before they leave the other country to make sure the animal has immunity against rabies, a physical examination upon arrival and getting a U.S. rabies vaccine. If the dog doesn't have a blood test showing immunity, it must be quarantined for 28 days.

These are much stricter requirements than existing regulations for dog importation — for those who want to adopt from abroad and for those traveling internationally with their pets.

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Vaccine hesitancy affects dog-owners, too, with many questioning the rabies shot.

But, U.S pet owners shouldn't panic, says Dr. Emily Pieracci , a CDC veterinary medicine officer. "This really isn't a big change," she says. "It sounds like a lot, but not when you break it down, it's really not a huge inconvenience for pet owners."

Rabies was eliminated in dogs in the United States in 2007 , but unvaccinated canines can still contract the disease from rabid wildlife such as raccoons, skunks or bats.

And rabies remains one of the deadliest diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans around the world. Globally, about 59,000 people die from rabies each year. The illness is nearly always fatal once a person begins to experience symptoms .

Today, pet dogs in the United States are routinely vaccinated against rabies.

"This new regulation is really set to address the current challenges we're facing," Pieracci says. Those include an increased risk of disease "because of the large-scale international movement of dogs," she adds, as well as fraudulent documentation for imported dogs.

The U.S. imports an estimated 1 million dogs each year. In 2021, amid a surge of pandemic-inspired dog adoptions, the CDC suspended importations from 113 countries where rabies is still endemic because of an increase in fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates. The countries include Kenya, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, Russia, Vietnam, North Korea, Nepal, China and Syria.

That suspension will end when the new rules go into effect Aug. 1.

"This will bring us up to speed with the rest of the international community which already has measures in place to prevent the importation of of rapid dogs," Pieracci said. "So, we're playing catch-up in a sense."

The new regulations replace rules that date back to 1956. Those rules only required that dogs be vaccinated before entering the country.

To control rabies in wildlife, the USDA drops vaccine treats from the sky

"As you can imagine a lot has changed since then," Pieracci says. "International travel has increased dramatically and people's relationships with dogs have changed since the 1950s. During that time, it really wasn't common for dogs to be considered family member. They didn't sleep in peoples' beds. They certainly didn't accompany them on international trips."

The new rules won praise from the American Veterinary Medical Association . The organization "is pleased to see the implementation of this new rule that will help protect public health and positively impact canine health and welfare," said Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the AVMA in a statement to NPR.

Dog rescue advocates also welcomed the changes.

"This updated regulation will allow us to continue bringing dogs to the U.S. safely and efficiently," Lori Kalef, director of programs for SPCA International, said in a statement.

"We have seen that dogs have been a lifeline for U.S. service members during their deployments. One of our key programs reunites these service members and their animal companions here in the U.S. once they have returned home," she said. "The CDC's commitment to improving its regulations has a profound impact on the animals and service members we support, and this new policy is an important piece of that effort."

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2024 tornado tally more than 100 higher than historical average

By Brian Lada , AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer

Published May 9, 2024 8:19 AM PDT | Updated May 9, 2024 11:31 AM PDT

Authorities urged residents in areas of Indiana and Michigan to take shelter as severe storms caused tornados to touch down on May 7.

Spring is the peak of severe weather season across the United States, but 2024 has been incredibly active, particularly over the past few weeks, which has sent the annual tornado count toward record territory.

A graph showing preliminary reports of tornadoes by storms spotters year-to-date.

As of Thursday morning, there have been 670 preliminary tornado reports across the United States, well above the historical average of 559 through May 8, according to the Storm Prediction Center. There have been 129 preliminary reports so far in May, following 378 twisters in April.

The only years when there were more tornadoes through May 8 were 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2017.

A large tornado tracks past a highway near Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 26, 2024. (Aaron Jayjack)

Tornado Alley has roared back to life, a major shift from recent years when twisters favored the Gulf Coast states and Tennessee Valley. The majority of tornadoes in 2024 have touched down in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Ohio has also experienced a surge in tornadoes, with 54 reports so far.

Preliminary tornado reports by state between Jan. 1 and May 8, 2024.

The annual tornado count was running near to slightly below the historical average through mid-April, but a shift in the weather pattern opened the door for tornado-producing thunderstorms to develop more frequently across the central United States.

AccuWeather warned of this flip in the pattern in January with the release of its annual U.S. spring forecast.

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'It was scary': Air Force evacuates 12-year-old boy in critical condition from cruise

A 12-year-old boy in critical condition was medically evacuated from a Carnival cruise ship. Due to the ship being more than 350 miles offshore, the Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing had to perform the air evacuation on Saturday, according to a press release by the combat search and rescue wing.

Aiden Bridges and his family were onboard the Carnival Venezia cruise ship , which was sailing along the East Coast to return to New York from the Caribbean, when he “fell ill,” according to a GoFundMe created by Aiden’s mom, Angela Bridges. 

The pre-teen visited the ship's medical team, where he got an X-ray and learned he had a rupture in his bowel. The onboard doctors told the family Aiden needed to be medically evacuated immediately to a hospital in North Carolina for urgent surgery. 

Angela Bridges did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. 

At the time, the ship was on a sea day and scheduled to arrive back in New York on Monday. 

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“Carnival Venezia's team worked with United States Coast Guard and Air Force officials to adjust its course Saturday so a medical helicopter could rendezvous with the ship when a guest on board needed treatment ashore,” Janna Rowell, a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line, told USA TODAY in an email statement.

Within hours of the call, the 920th Rescue Wing prepared and launched a rescue force from Florida comprising two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the ship’s position, the press release said. Flight doctors were used to identify the treatment station to which Aiden was transported. 

“Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams,” said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot, in the release.

Due to the ship’s remote location, the helicopters had to do air-to-air refueling. Pararescuements were hoisted down to the ship’s deck, and Aiden and his mother were brought up to the helicopter. 

Mira Simanovsky, who was also onboard the cruise, told USA TODAY the passengers were alerted of a medical evacuation via an intercom announcement. Simanovsky was on her balcony when she saw the two helicopters and army planes circling the ship. She later moved to the deck to watch the rescue mission with other passengers. 

“It was scary. Everybody was crying,” she said. An avid cruiser with 35 sailings under her belt said it was the first time she’d ever “seen anything like that.”

The crowd gathered on the deck were cheering and clapping when the mother and her son were airlifted. 

By the time the aircraft returned to the station, the rescue mission had taken more than eight hours with over 1,000 miles flown. 

Carnival said the ship then resumed its route to New York and arrived in New York Monday morning as normad. 

“Thank you so much to everyone who has expressed well wishes and prayers and good thoughts for our sweet baby and the rest of our family,” Bridges wrote on the GoFundMe fundraiser to help the family with Aiden’s insurance deductible and out-of-pocket medical costs. “I can’t express to everyone how in awe I am at the outpouring of kindness and support.”

On Tuesday, Bridges posted an update on Aiden, saying he “has a long road of recovery ahead of him.” 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Wellness Travel & Tourism

Covid-19 and medical tourism in the united states.

In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans sought healthcare outside the country, up from 750,000 a decade before. Fast forward to 2019, and the number rose by more than 25 percent to 1.9 million. Millions of Americans keep traveling every year to access quality and timely healthcare at a fraction of a cost in the US. But as the pandemic dealt a blow to the travel industry, the number dwindled substantially, raising a lot of uncertainty about the future of health travel in the country.

In the last decade, millions of Americans traveled abroad to access less expensive healthcare. Countries such as Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, South Korea, and Mexico were medical travel hub spots for a lot of Americans, many of whom lack health insurance or have health insurance plans that do not cover certain conditions and procedures. Americans who were uninsured could readily access these services for less than half the cost in the US, plus fun getaways and the beautiful travel experience that these destinations offer.

For instance, a dental implant procedure, which costs about $2,500 in US hospitals can be done at less than half the price in Costa Rica. Also, total hip replacement surgery, which costs $33,162 in the US can be done at Malaysian hospitals with comparable quality standards at $5,400. 

This cost disparity, coupled with the comparable quality of healthcare in these countries and the long wait times to access healthcare services in the US, drove many Americans to these countries for medical care. US companies and organizations also invested in this model of healthcare, sending patients through direct contract programs to specialist centers and renowned hospitals in these countries for affordable care. According to Medical Tourism CEO Jonathan Edelheit, many companies reported saving more than $20 million in five years by sending their employees to these medical travel hubs for orthopedic and bariatric surgeries.

These destinations further enjoyed an upswing of medical travel from the US as they began to secure international accreditations and retain US-trained experts in various medical specialties, assuring international patients of the quality of their healthcare delivery. By 2017, more than 800 hospitals had been accredited by the Joint Commission, with the number growing by 20 percent yearly, expanding the market for outbound medical travel in the US.

However, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, inbound medical travel ceased as governments implemented travel restrictions and bans across the world. The global hospital workforce was overstretched, leading many healthcare providers to suspend elective surgeries and procedures - which are the drivers of health travel.

As a result, US hospitals recorded massive revenue losses, with a bleak outlook as the outbreak resurges across the country and governments reintroduce travel restrictions. Mayo Clinic, for example, estimates a revenue loss of over $900 million for this year, as it records fewer elective surgeries and procedures, which make up more than half of its revenue. The decline in elective procedures has also ebbed down income by almost $70 million for Grady Health, Atlanta, a major player in the health travel business.

International travel restrictions are not the only factors limiting medical travel in the wake of the pandemic; interstate travel bans have also limited domestic medical travel, which was soaring in the US before the pandemic.

Walmart was one of the employers pushing domestic medical travel in the US. The company encouraged some of its employees to access medical care in centers of excellence in other parts of the US, covering their medical costs and travel expenses. Through this direct contracting initiative, Walmart employees could access cardiac procedures, transplant surgeries, and hip replacements in other locations in the US.

According to the American Hospitals Association, the drastic drop in both international and domestic patient inflow has led to hospitals losing an estimated $50 billion a month.

The future, therefore, looks very complex for medical tourism in the United States. With the largest number of confirmed cases globally and the recent resurgence in parts of the country up to record highs, the US may be heading for a further decline in medical travel, and a challenging recovery afterward. And experts say the industry may not begin to recover until 2022.

Multiple factors will determine the future of the medical travel market in the country, both on the supply and demand angles. The future may be met with a demand-supply mismatch that may cause the industry to implode further.

On the supply side, the American Hospital Association released a report in May, describing the financial impacts of the pandemic on hospital systems. First, the pandemic has increased the operational costs of many hospitals. Treatment costs and costs of medical equipment soared during the pandemic as a result of both the high demand for the equipment and disruptions to the supply chains caused by the travel restrictions. 

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of treating a COVID-19 patient could be as high as $20,000, and up to $90,000 for those that require ventilators. Also, hospitals in New York City reported paying four times the usual price for medical gloves and over 15 times the usual cost of face masks. According to the Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals (SHOPP), the costs of the items went up by more than ten tens since the pandemic began.

Some of these hospitals also incurred additional costs to address medical staff shortages and meet surge demand in the wake of the outbreak. Coupled with the financial losses from canceled elective procedures and treatments, these rising costs caused intense financial strain on many providers, many of whom are beginning to run into debt.

This financial burden may, no doubt,  impact negatively on medical travel recovery in the country.

Resumption of air and cruise travel and the persistence of travel restrictions will impact medical travel recovery in the US. With dropping household incomes and unemployment induced by the pandemic and the looming shortage of healthcare providers in the countries, more tourists will prefer to seek healthcare outside the country for their pent-up medical needs. Incidentally, these countries, including Latin American and Southeast Asian nations, have opened their borders to US tourists as a strategy to revive their tourism industry. However, the US is still closed to many countries from which medical tourists travel, including the European Schengen area, the UK, and Brazil.

These visa restrictions and travel bans may reduce consumer confidence in the US, potentially impeding recovery for the industry. Strategies to rein in further spread of the outbreak, foster international collaborations, and ramp up medical capacities to meet the pent-up medical demand of medical tourists may pave the way for the rejuvenation of US medical travel.

These strategies will rely on concerted efforts by all stakeholders in the medical travel business, including the airline industry and logistics companies. These pull-and-push factors will determine the growth of the industry going forward and its position in the post-pandemic era.

Korea: Turning the Focus to an Emerging Global Leader in Medical Tourism

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The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

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Judge: Alabama groups can sue over threat of prosecution for helping with abortion travel

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday said abortion rights advocates can proceed with lawsuits against Alabama’s attorney general over threats to prosecute people who help women travel to another state to terminate pregnancies.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson denied Attorney General Steve Marshall’s request to dismiss the case. The groups said Marshall has suggested anti-conspiracy laws could be used to prosecute those who help Alabama women obtain an abortion in another state. The two lawsuits seek a legal ruling clarifying that the state can’t prosecute people for providing such assistance.

Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape and incest.

While Thompson did not issue a final ruling, he said the organizations “correctly contend” that the attorney general “cannot constitutionally prosecute people for acts taken within the State meant to facilitate lawful out of state conduct, including obtaining an abortion.”

“Alabama can no more restrict people from going to, say, California to engage in what is lawful there than California can restrict people from coming to Alabama to do what is lawful here. In this sense, the case is not an especially difficult call,” Thompson wrote.

Marshall has not prosecuted anyone for providing abortion assistance, but he has made statements suggesting his office would “look at” groups that provide help. Marshall’s office had asked Thompson to dismiss the lawsuit.

One lawsuit was filed by the Yellowhammer Fund. That group stopped providing financial assistance to low income persons over concerns about possible prosecution. The other suit was filed by an obstetrician and two former abortion clinics that continue to provide contraception and other health services.

Plaintiffs said Marshall’s comments have had a chilling effect on their work and made it difficult for doctors and others to know if they can make appointments and referrals for abortions out of state.

Thompson scheduled a May 15 status conference to discuss the next steps. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed authority on abortion law to the states, the Deep South quickly became an area of limited abortion access.