Ho Chi Minh City launches more than 30 medical tourism products.

According to a report by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the number of tourists coming to Vietnam for medical treatment has been steadily increasing year after year, generating approximately US$2 billion in revenue annually. On average, about 300,000 foreign visitors come to Vietnam for medical treatment each year, with 40% of them concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, to attract tourists, the Department of Tourism has connected with more than 50 entities, including hospitals, medical facilities, spas, travel agencies, and accommodation providers, to jointly develop medical tourism products to introduce to locals and tourists.

According to Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in 2023, the city included medical tourism in its draft tourism development strategy. Therefore, the Department has implemented numerous activities and solutions to exploit the potential of this type of tourism. Specifically, the Department, in collaboration with travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City and healthcare units, has developed over 30 medical tourism products. The common features of these announced medical tourism products include access to healthcare services at reputable, high-quality hospitals, premium service experiences, dining, shopping, relaxation combined with visits to famous historical sites and destinations in Ho Chi Minh City. In particular, three other medical services currently attracting significant tourist interest are general health check-ups, disease screening, and specialized medical procedures and traditional medicine.

"Initially, to promote medical tourism products, the tourism industry will revise the 2018 Medical Tourism Handbook, making the content concise, clear, and effective, and adding more languages ​​(English, Thai, Cambodian, Lao, Chinese) so that domestic and international tourists can study it, participate in tour programs, and experience it firsthand in the locality. At the same time, we will organize promotional activities to attract tourists to the Cambodian market and survey and learn from the experience of developing medical tourism models in Thailand; and organize a booth to introduce and promote medical tourism within the framework of the 17th Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair in 2023 to attract more tourists to the city," Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu informed.

At the announcement ceremony, service agreements were signed with participating units for medical tourism products. Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Department of Health will cooperate to support tourism businesses in perfecting medical tourism packages suitable for domestic and international markets, focusing mainly on the ASEAN tourism market.

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