Attracting executives, pensioners and people willing to work remotely from Costa Rica, who extend their stay in the country for long periods, are some of the business opportunities that businessmen have detected in the current commercial scenario.
Although the sector is practically in the zero season, since the outbreak of covid-19 Costa Rica closed the borders to tourism, and during April and May there were practically no visitors to the country, the businessmen are beginning to prepare themselves to face the new commercial reality that arose from this abrupt change in the ways that people relate to each other on a global level.
Businessmen in Guatemala estimate that patients who visit the country with the aim of buying medical treatment will take between 9 months and a year to regain confidence in making the trip.
The sector is practically paralyzed, since due to the covid-19 outbreak worldwide, several countries have decided to close their borders and air terminals, and airlines are keeping their units on the ground.
Dental treatments and preventive medicine are the services most demanded by tourists visiting Guatemala in search of medical attention.
Data from the Health and Welfare Commission of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), details that 40% of tourists demand dental services, 16% preventive medicine, 10% orthopedic, 7% cardiovascular and 6% plastic and cosmetic surgeries.
In 2018, revenues generated by health tourism companies in the Dominican Republic totaled $265 million, 15% more than in 2017, partly because of the competitive prices offered by the country.
Figures from the "Study and Diagnosis of Health Tourism in the Dominican Republic", detail that between 2017 and 2018 the income from this type of tourism increased by nearly $35 million, going from $230 million to $265 million.
In Costa Rica, 5% of people who show interest in traveling are attracted by adventure tourism, and about 40% of them are between 21 and 30 years old, and have a high level of purchasing power.
An analysis of consumerinterests and preferences in Costa Rica, compiled by CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence Unit, provides interesting results on the characteristics of people who express an interest in travel. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphics]
Costa Rican authorities signed an agreement for the promotion and consolidation of the country as a wellness tourist destination.
In addition to the cooperation agreement signed between the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and the Costa Rica Wellness Association, on May 16 the institution awarded a contract to the Costa Rican Technical Standards Institute (INTECO) to develop a national standard that establishes the service requirements that Wellness Spas must meet in order to be accredited.
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 tourismrevenues 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.
The country generated $13 million in medical and dental tourism services provided to 24 thousand visitors in 2017.
In a statement, the Ministry of Tourism indicated that "... Dental services, outpatient surgeries, stem cell treatments, bariatric surgeries, among others, are the most requested services in the country because of their quality of services and prices compared to other destinations."
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.
An environmental impact study has been submitted for construction of a treatment and curative care center in a hot springs area in La Fortuna, Alajuela.
Data from the interactive platform "Construction in Central America" compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData indicates that Ganadera Manoa de la Fortuna S.A. submitted an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) in August to the Setena to develop, in the district of La Fortuna, province of Alajuela, a medical tourism project.
In Panama companies dedicated to the activity are complaining about the absence of a state policy or strategy to help promote the country as a destination for medical tourism at the international level.
Although Panama has all the necessary characteristics to make it a relevant market for medical tourism, a specific policy to promote the activity led by the Tourism Authority could encourage much more development of the activity in the country."...'The only disadvantage Panama has as a destination for medical tourism is that this sector has not been recognized by the state as a tourist product or a real feature of its organizational infrastructure,' said Luis Santamaría, general director of Panasalud S.A., to Prensa.com."
The health tourism segment, still in its infancy in the country, could achieve a higher degree of development if a strategy is implemented jointly by tourism companies and medical centers.
Low prices of treatments and medical infrastructure are the main factors which favor growth of the medical tourism segment in Costa Rica, which could also be applied in Nicaragua, once a work plan starts to be implemented which involves coordination between hospitals, government and companies in the tourism sector.
Up to September 2016 tourist activities such as business, medical treatments and traditional tourism generated $3.624 billion, 16% more than the same period in 2015.
While traditional or vacation tourism is still the main source of revenue generated in the tourism sector, with 64% of total revenue up to September 2016, other activities such as medical tourism and business trips are gaining more and more strength.Revenues generated in the segment of medical or wellbeing tourism accounted for 13% of the total, while revenues generated by business tourism accounted for 15%.
Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, medical tourism companies, laboratories, pharmacies and research centers are part of the new Costa Rican health chamber.
The group of health sector companies announced that they"...
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