Health Leaders

About the 3rd annual World Health Tourism Congress

It already took place the 3rd annual World Health Tourism Congress – Marbella, Spain from 4th to 6th April 2008 (). This premier event offers healthcare providers from around the world the chance to create business opportunities and form partnerships with the largest corporate healthcare buyers in the world. World Health Tourism Congress offers a unique B2B format adapted to your Prospecting Strategy. The format of the event is much more exclusive than any other health tourism event in the HealthCare Tourism industry

The format was nice to know. Providers and Buyers in numbered chairs and doing 30 minutes meetings. Very practical and low cost for the solution providers (no booths) but too much information and one-to-one talk. Difficult to really take the relevant. See the photo:

The workshops were not really usefu, very few people interested.

The environment was great, Marbella, the temperature, food and hotels.

The resume is that the topic of Medical Tourism is not new at all but a growing market. SPA and wellness business are entering, plastic surgery and countries like Philipinne, Korea, Turkey, Poland are very active. They have one of this important issues for Medical Tourism: nice weather or cheap prize of doctors service. American well stablished business to organise Americans being operated out side, amazing. Brasil is also a great player because of several reasons: nice private hospitals and great environment. Private hospitals are moving hard to get a role in the space. TreatmentAbroad is a nice organisation sending patient to spain to be operated. USP Hospitals Gold Sponsor trying to get the leadership in the Spanish field although Hospiten also knowing the business.

Planet Hospital is an amazing company that organise Medical Tourism activities with a really smart and visionary leader. WorldMediTours is also in this arena.

Also, web 2.0 was there: really cool idea promoted by some people: before and after community: www.beandaf.com How I was before?, how I am after? a surgery, a wellness program, a diet, a tatoo, whatever. Let’s create the socal community to share experiences.

I was there promoting Health Destination Medical Tourism Project (EU Project) and trying to get partners for MDPIXX and it was very succesful. MDPIXX can very of big value for telemedicine purposes. This post is open for others to complement the information.

Linda Ngcipe from Zulu was promoting South Africa to get the event there next year or in 2010. Great idea, we support that.