DOT vows to boost Philippine prospect for medical tourism

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) vowed it would boost the promotion of the Philippines as a destination for health and wellness.

DOT has identified medical and wellness tourism as a “priority” under the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said during the 11th convention of the Philippine Academy of Aesthetic and Age Management Medicine Inc. in Taguig City on Sept. 8.

Globally, medical tourism would grow at 32.51 percent from 2022 to 2023 and the country could profit from medical tourism with an estimated market size of around $115 billion, she said.

“We, at the Department of Tourism, are committed to supporting medical tourism with the help of our stakeholders in nurturing a healthy environment for our health care professionals and a welcoming environment for medical tourism clients,” she said.

“As we move forward from the pandemic, we are conscious of the necessity of focusing on health and wellness and providing globally competitive health care,” she added.

The country currently ranks 24th out of the 46 identified medical tourism destinations in the world, the DOT said in a statement.

However, Frasco said the country “deserves a much higher place in the world” with health workers who have “a distinct Filipino brand of care that is renowned all over the world as its core.”