WHO hasn’t seen or heard the term “medical travel” or “medical tourism” in recent years? Hospitals and clinics, physicians, and other medical or health-service providers are looking for the perfect marketing strategy to avail themselves of a piece of the medical-tourism pie.
We have read statements about it in the international media, such as “Cost competitiveness and quality health services are one of the major factors that made Asia…the world’s leading market for medical tourism….” But where are the medical tourists? What is their profile? What are their needs and wants?
In recent years several organizations, working groups and health-care providers have been using a shotgun approach in trying to lure in medical tourists (or travelers) to the country, but have we seen them coming in?
If you ask me, we have a lot of work to do.
Let’s face it: Manila is not one of the cities you are keen on staying in when you are a tourist. But guess where you will find the highest concentration of quality health-care treatments? You got it right—Manila.
Destination is key. Imagine having a dive in the morning, having your teeth done in the afternoon and enjoying a terrific dinner by the beach in the evening—that is one form of medical tourism.
In order for the Philippines to succeed as a medical-tourism destination, we need to understand our prospective clients, and this is where our knowledge is limited.
To widen our horizons (and strategies), we need to listen to international experts and their advice. They have the knowledge we need, which they gained through extensive research, and they can see our country with the eyes of an international medical tourist (or is it traveler?)
I recently learned from Elizabeth Ziemba of the US-based Medical Tourism Training Inc. that there is a big difference between a medical tourist and a medical traveler. The former visits the country mainly for tourism and only undergoes minor treatments, such as dental or eye care; the latter travels for complex medical treatment. Get the difference? Two slightly different terms, but they have entirely different marketing strategies. So whom do you want to attract, the medical tourist or the medical traveler?
Yes, we have Joint Commission International-accredited hospitals and English-speaking health-care professionals, and, yes, we are known for our hospitality. But are these enough? How do we get our message across and what is our unique selling point, which is crucial in a marketing strategy?
If you ask me, our strong competitive advantages are in dental and eye care, executive checkups, rehabilitation, retirement, and care tourism. If you want to know why, ask me or one of our international experts at Retirement & Healthcare: Master Class 2014, to be held at Marriott Hotel Manila on November 5 and 6.
Our key speaker for medical tourism (or travel?) is Dr. David Vequist, an accomplished author and researcher on medical and retirement tourism. His topics include opportunities for economic growth and best practices in medical and retirement tourism from around the world.
He is the founder and director of the Texas-based Center for Medical Tourism Research, the very first academic center devoted to medical-tourism research.
This event is organized by the Retirement & Healthcare Coalition, in partnership with the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Retirement Authority.
Marc Daubenbuechel
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To register for the Retirement & Healthcare: Master Class 2014, call (632) 845-1324 or e-mail events@rhc.com.ph. For more information, visit the event’s website at www.rhs-asia.com.