Dubai medical tourism packages with visa, hotel

Posted on May 19, 2014 | Comments Off on Dubai medical tourism packages with visa, hotel

Providers of medical tourism packages will be required to acquire membership of Medical Tourism Club

by Majorie van Leijen

Come September, and people visiting Dubai seeking medical care will be met with more than a treatment on a hospital bed: visa, hotel accommodation as well as recreational activities for families who accompany patients will be included in the medical tourism package.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities that wish to provide services to medical tourists will be required to provide all-inclusive medical tourism packages and acquire membership from the Medical Tourism Club from September 1, 2014, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said.

The initiative is aimed to streamline medical tourism for the emirate by including all stakeholders in the process. “All relevant stakeholders including immigration, aviation industry, hospitality sector, and public and private hospitals will work together to ensure medical tourists receive both excellent treatment as well as world-class hospitality that Dubai is synonymous with,” explained Ramadan Ibrahim, Director of Medical Regulation and of the Medical Tourism Programme.

Under the scheme, providers of medical tourism packages will be required to acquire membership of the Medical Tourism Club, a non-profit club subjected to eligibility of the provider.

“For example, they need to provide us details of the specialties they would like to promote, details of the doctors who provide those specialties, the number of procedures they have conducted, etc,” said Ibrahim.

“In addition to medical facilities, we will also evaluate hospitals on the basis of the comfort and ease they provide patients. This includes checking whether they have translators, chauffer services etc., which will all be part of the medical tourism package.

Based on the score, which is to be evaluated by the DHA, providers will receive platinum, gold or silver membership. “The first package will be launched in September this year and will be wellness and preventive services package,” adds Ibrahim.

Priority areas of medical tourism services in the UAE are orthopaedic and sports medicine, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dental procedures, dermatology and preventive health check-ups.

In a business that globally turns around $30 billion annually and is expected to double by end-2020, Dubai aims to utilise its position as a leading tourism destination and extend it to include an offering of its medical services.

A Dubai Medical tourism website will be launched by the last quarter of 2014 and will include all details and hyperlinks of the approved members.

source: http://www.emirates247.com / Emirates247 / Home> News> Emirates / by Majorie van Leijen / Tuesday – May 13th, 2014

Comments Off on Dubai medical tourism packages with visa, hotel

Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Germans to Travel to Poland for Treatment?

Posted on May 18, 2014 | Comments Off on Germans to Travel to Poland for Treatment?

WARSAW, Poland :

Medical tourism experts see Poland as potentially significant player in this industry. The country’s popularization as a hotspot for foreign patients is the result of implementation of the Ministry of Economy’s program: “Promotion of the Polish economy on international markets”. Promotion is underway in Germany, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, and theUSA.

A commercial mission of Polish medical centers was organized in Germany on 9-11.04. There were 60 participants fromPoland and Germany and invited guests. Polish companies returned home with the prospect of new contracts on the German market.

Representatives of Polish companies met with German experts, representatives of medical tourism environments, and other potential business partners. Two conferences were held during this mission: in Cologne and Berlin.  The first, in Cologne, was addressed to travel agencies and medical tourism intermediaries. The meeting in Berlin concerned health care funds. The leitmotif was the cross-border health care directive, discussed by leading expert and co-author of the directive, Dr. Günter Danser.

Talks between potential partners from both countries also took place during matchmaking sessions in Cologne and Berlin. Hospitals enjoyed the greatest interest among German health care funds, and among medical tourism intermediaries, sanatoriums and dental clinics attracted the most interest.

Still planned for 2014: studio visit of foreign journalists to Poland (May), a mission to the United Kingdom and participation in The Health&Medical Tourism Show (July); mission to Denmark and Health&Rehab Scandinavia (September); international conference in Washington “Poland – fast growing health destination” and World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress (September); mission to Sweden and Norway (November), studio visit of foreign industry partners to Poland(December).

source: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk / Home> Healthcare & Hospitals> Travel Industry / May 07th,  2014 / www.polandmedicaltourism.com

Comments Off on Germans to Travel to Poland for Treatment?

Posted in Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

DHA receives president of medical tourism association

Posted on May 17, 2014 | Comments Off on DHA receives president of medical tourism association

Dubai :

Engineer Essa Al Maidoor, director-general of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) recently received Renee-Marie Stephano, President of the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) that is a not-for-profit trade association headquartered in the United States of America.

The meeting was held at the DHA headquarters and was attended by Dr Ramadan Ibrahim, director of medical regulation and director of the medical tourism programme, and Linda Abdullah Ruhi, head of healthcare facility regulation unit and project manager of the medical tourism programme.

The two sides discussed cooperation in training courses for medical tourism, cooperation in the field of conferences and participation in the DHA congress that will be held in October to discuss the role of regulation in medical tourism.

The two factions discussed ways to share experiences in the field of medical tourism and participation in global medical tourism conferences.

Al Maidoor provided an overview of the medical tourism strategy of the DHA.

He said that in line with the vision, leadership and encouragement from Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and as per the  goals of the Dubai Health Sector Strategy 2013-2025, the DHA recently announced Dubai’s medical tourism initiatives and that Dubai is relying on its strengths by  building a health system that supports excellence in health care with a focus on  healthcare professionals,  health investment and excellence in services across a diversified range of  medical specialities.

He said that the strategy has been designed over two phases, the first one has been chalked out until 2016 and the second until 2020 and that the  aim of the strategy is to ensure Dubai features among the top medical tourism destinations around the world.

He concluded that DHA is keen to work with local, regional and international stakeholders to strengthen the medical tourism initiative.
source: http://www.gulftoday.ae / The Gulf Today / Home> Local / by Rayan  Sheety / May 07th, 2014

Comments Off on DHA receives president of medical tourism association

Posted in Associations/Organisations/Government/NonGovernment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics, Uncategorized

“Meditels” Provide High-Quality Korean Medical Care and a Resort-Like Space to Foreign Patients

Posted on May 16, 2014 | Comments Off on “Meditels” Provide High-Quality Korean Medical Care and a Resort-Like Space to Foreign Patients

Seoul ,  South Korea :

WE Hotel is constructed as a “Meditel” in South Korea’s best resort province of Jeju Island.

Over 20 Meditels, which are built for patients to experience both the high-quality medical services of South Korean hospitals and a resort-like space, will be established nationwide by 2020.

Last March, the South Korean government officially allowed the construction and management of Meditels for foreign patients visiting South Korea to enjoy both high-quality medical services and tourism.

Meditel is a compound of “medicine” and “hotel”. It is built to provide Korean medical services and lodging facilities in one building to foreign patients. Currently, five Meditels, where foreign patients are expected to visit, are under construction.

The first Meditel that opened in South Korea is the WE Hotel in Jeju Island, the best tourism site of South Korea.KRW 60 billion was invested and the WE Hotel recently opened with 90 guest rooms. In particular, the hotel provides five-star hotel services and medical services. The Jeju Provincial Government prepared for three years for the construction of the Meditel. WE Hotel is a five-storied Meditel with a land area of 29,980 sq. m and a building area of 4,830 sq. m. Taking advantage of the beautiful natural scenery of Jeju, the Hotel provides diverse programs, such as trekking and hiking to foreign patients.

WE Hotel is drawing much attention among high-income patients of Asia, including China and Japan. Many foreign dignitaries participated at the WE Hotel’s opening ceremony. Its primary goal is to draw over 5,000 patients annually.

In addition, the construction of a Meditel with 700 five-star class guest rooms is expected to be completed in 2017 in Gimpo-si Gyeonggi-do Province in South Korea. The Gimpo Municipal Government is recently building a medical tourism business hotel in the Gochon logistics complex jointly with an investment consulting firm in Hong Kong.

In turn, Daegu-si will open two Meditels with five-star class hotel facilities by May this year. These Meditels will provide five-star class hotel services and medical services of 10 hospitals.

The Busan Metropolitan Government will also create a medical resort town with a Meditel in its Dongbusan tourism complex jointly with the Busan Medical Industry Association by 2017.

“Starting this year, Meditels are expected to be actively constructed to provide both high-quality medical services and tourism services to foreign patients visiting South Korea,” an officer of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute said. “They are expected to provide better services to foreign patients visiting South Korea, whose number is rapidly increasing by the year.”

Inquiries: KHIDI, Global Healthcare Business Department

JAY. Lee / 82-70-8146-8980 / widersceo@gmail.com

Source : KHIDI

source: http://www.news.gnomes.es / Gnomes National News Service / Seoul, South Korea / May 06th, 2014

 

Comments Off on “Meditels” Provide High-Quality Korean Medical Care and a Resort-Like Space to Foreign Patients

Posted in Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Medical Treatment/Health Treatment Subject By Speciality, Reports,Features, Statistics, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas

Middle East/North Africa is the Fastest Growing Wellness Tourism Market in the World, at 16% Annually

Posted on May 15, 2014 | Comments Off on Middle East/North Africa is the Fastest Growing Wellness Tourism Market in the World, at 16% Annually

The Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC), a division of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), today released new data on the Middle East and African wellness tourism markets at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) being held in Dubai. The research, undertaken by SRI International for the GWTC, reveals that although the region is currently the smallest global wellness travel market, it will be the world growth leader through 2017.

The report analyzed the Middle East/North African and Sub-Saharan African markets separately, and found that the former ranks #1 in the world for wellness tourism growth (16.2% annually), expanding the market from $5.3 billion USD in 2012 to $16.6 billion USD in 2017. And Sub-Saharan Africa will also see an impressive 12.6% annual growth, driving that market from $2 billion USD in 2012 to $5.07 billion by 2017.

South Africa is the current pan-regional leader in terms of both trips and expenditures. And the UAE will grow faster than any Middle East/African nation from 2012-2017: adding one million trips–and with a 17.9% annual growth rate that ranks sixth in the world.

Wellness tourism is defined as “all travel associated with enhancing one’s personal well-being,” and this newly-released data comes from the GWTC’s “Global Wellness Tourism Economy” report, the first research to analyze the $439 billion worldwide wellness tourism market that is growing roughly 50% faster than the tourism sector overall.

Anni Hood, tourism & government liaison for the GWTC, presents the findings at ATM on May 7, and noted, “Wellness-focused travel is growing fast across this vast, diverse region: in the Middle East/North Africa we have the luxury/spa hotel building boom across GCC nations, and the revitalization of indigenous practices, such as historic hammams and baths. And Africa is tourism’s next frontier: from the rise of healthy adventure/safari tourism in South Africa and Kenya–to continued growth for spa/wellness resorts on destination islands like Mauritius or the Seychelles–to just-emerging East African destinations like Ghana or Senegal. These many different ‘stories’ add up to one, big story: the fastest growing wellness tourism market in the world.”

KEY FINDINGS

To view the complete breakdown for the top 12 Middle East/African nations for wellness travel, click here.

Expenditures: The Middle East/North African wellness tourism market (domestic and international combined) is worth $5.3 billion USD annually. Sub-Saharan Africa market expenditures total $2 billion USD each year–for a combined $7.3 billion USD Middle East/African market.

Trips: The Middle East/North African region drives 4.8 million wellness-focused trips (inbound and domestic) annually, while Sub-Saharan Africa generates 2.2 million–for a combined regional total of 7 million trips.

Top Five Current Country Leaders (annual trips/expenditures in USD):

1) South Africa: 1.5 mil/$1.5 bil
2) UAE: 800,000/$1.4 bil
3) Israel: 600,000/$1 bil
4) Morocco: 800,000/$800 mil
5) Egypt: 900,000/$700 mil

South Africa, with its well-established spa, wellness and hot springs destinations and robust domestic wellness travel, is the current regional spend leader. But the UAE, with its huge, recent tourism investments, that increasingly attract wealthy Asian, American, European and intra-GCC travelers, ranks #2–and is gaining.

Middle East/North Africa–The Global Growth Leader (Annual Growth Rate, 2012-2017)

Middle East/North Africa: 16.2%
Latin America: 13.4%
Asia Pacific: 13.4%
Sub-Saharan Africa: 12.6%
North America: 8%
Europe 7.3%

The top four fastest-growing nations in the region listed below (based on a combination of annual growth rate and trips added) also rank among the top 30 nations GLOBALLY for projected wellness tourism growth through 2017.

Fastest-Growing Middle East/Africa Wellness Tourism Countries (Trips Added/Annual Growth Rate, 2012-2017)

1) UAE: 1 mil/17.9%
2) South Africa: 1 mil/10.5%
3) Israel: 800,000/18.6%
4) Morocco: 800,000/14.7%

And Israel, the UAE and Morocco all rank in the top ten in the world for “pure percentage” growth in wellness travel through 2017, ranking #5, #6 and #10, respectively.

Inbound Wellness Tourism Crucial: Worldwide, domestic wellness tourism is dramatically larger than its international equivalent, representing 84% of trips and 68% of expenditures. But for the Middle East/Africa, the reverse is true: no global region’s wellness travel market is as dependent on inbound tourists. In the Middle East/North Africa, international tourists make up 63% of trips and 75% of expenditures. In Sub-Saharan Africa, inbound tourists comprise 60% of trips, and an overwhelming 94% of expenditures.

Top Five Inbound Country Leaders: (number of wellness-focused arrivals annually)

1) South Africa: 665,900
2) UAE: 603,600
3) Egypt: 593,400
4) Morocco: 464,200
5) Tunisia: 354,500

Impact on Economy & Jobs: Wellness tourism is directly responsible for 200,000 jobs in the Middle East/North Africa, and 100,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa. And this booming travel segment has an estimated wider impact of $13.4 billion USD on the former’s regional economy, and a $6 billion USD impact on the latter’s.

source: http://www.digitaljournal.com / Digital Journal / Home> PRWeb.com  Newswire> Press Release / New York, NY (PRWEB) / May 06th, 2014

Comments Off on Middle East/North Africa is the Fastest Growing Wellness Tourism Market in the World, at 16% Annually

Posted in Reports,Features, Statistics, Wellness Tourism