Visits by foreigners to undergo medical procedures in Costa Rica last year generated $437 million, 5% more than was registered in 2016.
According to figures from the Central Bank of Costa Rica, medical tourism revenues have shown sustained growth, as in 2015, 2016 and 2017 there were reports of increases in relation to each of the preceding years of 9%, 16% and 5% respectively.
Authorities estimate that this year the number of visitors that will come to the country will be 2.2 million, 4% more than the flow of tourists registered last year.
Following an 11% tourist increase between 2016 and 2017, representatives from the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (Inguat) project that this year the number of visitors will reach 2 million 197 thousand, a figure that is 4% more than the 2 million 119 thousand reported last year.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 patients arrive in the country every year in search of medical services such as surgeries of various types, and dental procedures, among other things.
Authorities estimate that approximately 8 out of 10 health tourists come to the country with a companion, which opens up possibilities for increasing demand for tourism. Among the services most in demand are general, aesthetic and plastic surgeries, weight loss treatments, dental implant procedures, oncological and orthopedic treatments.
Between January and April 2013 668,403 tourists entered the country, compared to the 628,550 visitors who were admitted in the same period last year.
However, the Tourism Commission in the Congress of the Republic considers that the figures are overinflated, therefore they have not ruled out quoting Pedro Duchez, director of INGUAT.
"My office is open to any person who comes to see the data we have.
The act of holding conventions in Panama has intensified areas such as transportation, lodging and shopping, and its contribution to GDP is projected for this year at $32 million.
According to the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), the IX World Congress and celebration of 50th anniversary of the World Missionary Movement's work, held at the Figali Convention Center, generated 20,000 room nights and provided $5 million.
After a first attempt to consolidate a core of companies engaged in providing medical services to foreigners, efforts are now being made to create an association for promoting medical tourism.
The country is looking to position itself within the medical tourism industry globally, growing at an accelerated rate of 30% annually.
In order to give a boost to medical tourism, a group of Salvadorans are promoting the creation of an association to promote health and to focus on niches that the country can exploit. "The partnership will look out for the interests of the sector, monitoring and ensuring that the people working in it do it well," said Mario Cruz, medical director of Equitec.
During 2012, medical tourism generated $338 million for the country, up almost 4% compared to 2011, when it registered $300 million.
Figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT by its initials in Spanish), revealed that in 2012 a total of 48,000 people came into Costa Rica for the purpose of undergoing various medical procedures.
The goal for the ICT and the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rican Medicine (Promed), is that during 2014, 100,000 tourists of this type enter the country, which would equate to generation of $800 million.
In Costa Rica the current methods for keeping records about the number of tourist arrivals are inefficient, with differences in numbers of up to half a million.
Professionals in the tourism sector believe it is essential to incorporate new tools in order to generate more reliable data regarding the entry of tourists into the country.
One such tool developed by the United Nations and used by several countries are satellite accounts.