Philippines medical tourism gets big push
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As leading international experts in health, wellness and tourism gather later this month in Manila in what is touted as being the industry’s largest event in Asia, the Philippines’ medical tourism trade is being touted as having the potential to earn the country as much as US$2 billion a year.
Tourism Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion was quoted saying that the conference – ‘Embracing health and wellness in the heart of Asia’ – covers medical tourism, regenerative and rejuvenative health and wellness.”T
his will set the tone for what is expected to happen globally in the next decade,” Carrion was quoted saying by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Citing an industry report published in the Medical Tourism Association magazine, published in the United States, she said efforts in the Philippines to build up the sector suggested that 700,000 medical tourism arrivals a year was “very achievable in the very near future.”
The report said that with the government capitalising on the growing trend in medical tourism, with this services sub-sector growing 8% last year, compared with 2.4% in 2006. In 2005, Philippine health and wellness tourism accounted for an estimated PHP68.5 billion (US$1.45 billion) – 1.26% of gross domestic product, the report was quoted saying.
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