The Philippines is developing an attractive medical tourism destination.

The Philippines plans to launch medical tourism amid the Covid-19 pandemic to highlight the importance of medical tourism and healthcare.

Currently, the Philippines is implementing measures to raise public awareness of medical tourism in the global market. The Philippine government is developing medical tourism destinations using a calibrated approach; developing an internal ecosystem and network of domestic facilities to address concerns and issues surrounding this tourism product.

Medical tourism is being invested in to improve health, attract foreign tourists, and develop the economy of the Philippines. Experts also suggest that the tourism industry needs to coordinate with the healthcare industry to develop solutions to expand this trending type of tourism.

Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recently stated: “With its high-quality hospitals and facilities, skilled medical professionals, and warm hospitality, the Philippines is poised to become an attractive destination for medical tourism.”

In addition, the Philippine Department of Tourism has developed the “gold standard in health and safety access for meetings, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE)” which includes criteria such as: standardizing services and procedures for medical examinations and treatments at tourism facilities; having policies to encourage investment in and development of quality health tourism resorts; and promoting the broader development of this type of tourism.

Last February, the Philippine government launched the Resbakuna sa Botika program on the tourist island of Boracay, partnering with the country's leading pharmacy chain to administer booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine to locals and tourists. As a result, the vaccination rate among Philippine tourism workers has now reached 98%.

The Philippine tourism industry is gradually recovering after more than two years of stagnation due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat affirmed that all stakeholders, including the government and private sector, are working to bring revenue and visitor numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao