The report looks at the economic contribution of medical tourism in 115 countries across the world. It also showcases some of the best policies/initiatives from select countries which have supported the development of medical tourism. 

Key highlights include: 

• International spending on medical tourism products and services grew by 358% in nominal terms between 2000 and 2017, increasing from $2.4 billion to $11 billion. This growth resulted in spending on medical tourism reaching 1.2% of international visitor spending in 2017 compared to 0.6% in 2000.
• The United States is the largest destination market for inbound medical tourists, with spending reaching almost $4bn in 2017 and representing nearly 36% of global medical tourism spending.
• Turkey, Thailand, Jordan, Costa Rica and Mexico are some of the leading emerging economies in terms of inbound medical tourism spending.
• The United States is also the world’s leading outbound medical tourism market, representing 20% of the market, with US citizens spending around $2.3bn in 2017 on medical tourism services abroad.
• Kuwait is the second largest source market for outbound medical tourism, largely due to its government policy of supporting and financing medical procedures abroad. Nigeria is the third largest source market.
• The most effective policies in supporting and stimulating medical tourism are those that establish the regulation and recognised accreditation/certification of medical practitioners and facilities, provide specific visa support, provide training and skills development, develop and implement targeted marketing strategies, and, attract investment into the sub-sector.

Read more at: https://www.wttc.org/publications/2019/medical-tourism/