Category Archives: Health /Medical Treatment For Overseas Treatment

www.freeimages.com

Medical Tourism Association  has recognized Orlando as the medical tourism Emerging Destination of the Year.

“Top-notch healthcare in Orlando remains an important reason why many people — including an ever-present and growing senior population — buy homes, rentals and retirement properties and start businesses in the region,” said Renée-Marie Stephano, president of the Medical Tourism Association, in a news release.

“Today, those same hospitals and some of the unique specialty treatments they offer are the impetus behind a new generation of tourists — both domestic and international — who are coming to Orlando for not only fun in the sun, but also for medical attention they can’t get anywhere else at the time and price they want,” she said.

The association said that the Orlando is quickly becoming a renowned location for health and wellness travelers. Almost 20 percent of all events booked in the city are for medical meetings.

The association attributed part of this gaining momentum to Lake Nona Medical City.

source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com / Orlando Sentinel / by Naseem S. Miller, Contact Reporter / October 09th, 2015

Medical tourism is a key component of the UAE’s tourism strategy leading up to the year 2020

Dubai’s government has claimed its medical tourism industry generated 1 billion dirhams ($272 million) in revenue in the first half of the year, keeping it on track for its 2020 targets.

According to Dubai Health Authority, 260,000 medical tourists visited the emirate during the period, up 12 per cent from a year earlier. The government body is tasked with growing the medical tourism industry into a 2.6 billion dirhams industry by the year 2020, and authorities hope to increase the number of medical tourists to 500,000 per year by then.

“Overall medical tourism is set as a key component of the UAE government’s long-term strategy of diversifying its economy away from oil and gas,” says Diana Jarmalite, an analyst with research firm Euromonitor International. “It is one of the fastest growing tourism categories in the region over the last few years,” she says.

A majority of medical tourists in the UAE come from other emirates, but around 40 per cent come from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia. Jarmalite says infertility treatments, cosmetic surgery and dental procedures are the most popular treatments sought by medical tourists in the UAE.

Jarmalite says the government of the UAE has “actively, aggressively and very successfully invested in developing a first class infrastructure to support the country’s positioning as a medical tourism destination,” with hotel and flight packages and new visa policies.

In August of last year the UAE government implemented changes to visa regulations to facilitate medical tourism. The changes include allowing hospitals to sponsor visas for individuals in other countries who are seeking treatment in the UAE, as well as allowing visas for multiple trips. A medical treatment visa costs 550 dirhams, with a repeat entry medical visa priced at 1400 dirhams. A new visa was also introduced to allow repeated entry for medical doctors, in an attempt to attract top talent from outside the UAE.

source: http://www.businessweekme.com / Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Middle East / Home> Companies & Industries> Travel & Tourism / by Leila Taha / UAE – September 14th, 2015

Thai Ambassador Piroon Laismit says Bangkok is normal after last month’s bombing.

Last month’s bombing incident in Thailand’s Erawan shrine will not affect the influx of tourists from Qatar, especially during Eid al-Adha, ambassador Piroon Laismit has said.
“In the beginning, many people were stunned by the incident but they should not worry anymore because police are on top of the situation and the necessary investigations are ongoing,” he told Gulf Times.
Similar to conditions after the May 2014 protest actions, Laismit said tourism activity in Bangkok had normalised just a few days after a bomb blast killed 22 persons and injured 120 others at the popular Hindu shrine.
Records from the Thai embassy showed 31,534 tourists from Qatar visited Thailand in 2014. Out of last year’s total figures, 23,052 were Qataris while 8,482 were Qatar-based expatriates, who applied for visas from Doha.
“From January to July this year, the embassy processed 5,000 visa applications for expatriates. For the same period, 17,429 Qataris had already visited Thailand.
“We are expecting an additional 10,000 tourists from Qatar to visit Thailand from September until the end of the year,” Laismit noted.
He stressed that the embassy cannot provide the exact number of tourists from Qatar since some expatriates like the British, Americans, Japanese, and other tourists from Southeast Asian countries are not required to present visas in Thailand.
According to Laismit, Thailand is attractive to most Qataris for its medical tourism industry. “Many Qataris see Thailand as a medical hub and they have a high regard for the services of our medical practitioners, who were trained and schooled abroad. Their services are efficient,” he explained.
“Because of our medical tourism industry, Qataris go to Thailand all year round. But the peak season for both Qataris and expats is during summer and Eid holidays.”
Aside from medical tourism, Laismit said Qataris also visit Thailand’s many tourist destinations. “We have an abundance of tropical fruits and Arabic food, as well as a range of international cuisine. The cost of living is low and transportation services are convenient making it conducive for tourists to travel to our shrines and cultural sites,” the ambassador said.
According to Laismit, Thailand received a total of 26mn tourists in 2014. “We are targeting to get 28mn visitors this year. Currently, 24.5mn tourists have already arrived in Thailand. Hopefully, by year’s end we could meet our target,” he said.

source: http://www.gulf-times.com / Gulf Times / Home> Qatar / by Peter Alagos, Business Reporter / September 12th, 2015