Why is medical tourism increasing?
Zoe Patterson
Updated on March 10, 2026
Why is medical tourism increasing?
Medicinal tourism is expanding on a worldwide basis, with patients seeking cosmetic surgery in countries abroad. Cardiovascular surgeries abroad are increasing in demand with the growing obesity rates and rise in healthcare costs.
Which countries are gaining from medical tourism?
Presenting to you the 5 best countries for medical tourism in 2017:
- India.
- Malaysia.
- Thailand.
- Singapore. Singapore is largely famous for complicated medical procedures such as heart surgeries.
- Mexico. No wonder Mexico is one of the best countries for Medical Tourism because of the close proximity to the U.S. & Canada.
What is the best country for medical tourism?
Canada. The top overall destination in the world for medical tourism, according to the 2020 MTA survey, is Canada.
What is the growth potential of medical tourism in India?
Medical tourism is a key growth sector for India, as it is projected to be worth $9 billion by 2020 and become 20% of the global market share in 2020. As a result, the government of India has encouraged the growth of the medical tourism industry and corporate hospitals through public policy.
How popular is medical tourism?
Medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and it is projected that as many as 750,000 Americans will seek offshore medical care in 2007. This phenomenon is driven by marketplace forces and occurs outside of the view and control of the organized healthcare system.
Why most countries engage in delivering care to medical tourists?
Most countries that engage in delivering care to medical tourists do so to increase the level of foreign exchange earnings coming into their country and to improve their balance of payments position.
What are the top 5 countries that is leading when it comes to medical tourism and the treatment they offer?
Popular destinations for medical tourism include Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Panama, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. The types of health and medical clinics that cater to medical tourists are often state-of-the-art facilities and are staffed with physicians who possess advanced medical degrees.
Which country has become a popular hub of medical tourism?
India has become a popular hub of medical tourism, attracting a large number of foreign patients every year. The reason behind such happening is a rare combination of advanced facilities, skilled doctors, and low cost of treatment.
Who is the most medically advanced country?
Best Healthcare in the World 2021
| Country | LPI 2020 Ranking | 2021 Population |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 1 | 5,813,298 |
| Norway | 2 | 5,465,630 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 8,715,494 |
| Sweden | 4 | 10,160,169 |
How can we improve medical tourism in India?
In general, there are three areas where India needs to improve, to boost medical tourism in a post-pandemic future:
- Advertise in a better way about the facilities present in major hospitals.
- Educate the Indian high commission in various countries about medical tourism as a potential revenue and goodwill earner.
Why is India famous for medical tourism?
The country’s advanced facilities, skilled doctors and low-cost treatment make it an ideal destination for medical tourists. Aside from modern medical practices, India has also promoted traditional practices such as Yoga and Ayurveda that promote overall wellbeing and health.
What are examples of medical tourism?
Top destinations for health tourism
- Mexico. Nurse with patient in master suite, San Jose Tec hospital – Monterrey, Mexico.
- India. An Indian doctor shows a couple their two-day old embryo.
- Thailand. A hospital orderly holds a welcome board for an international patient at Bumrungrad hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Turkey.
