Differences The Difference Between Wellness and Medical Tourism
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr. Raoul Andrews Sudre is known as the dean of international spa consultants, with over 48 years of experience in the hospitality and spa industries. After graduation from the Cornell University Hotel Management program and a short time as a Director of Inspection Services for the Duncan Hines Institute, Raoul joined the Cornell University staff and began his consulting career. He consulted for the Ministries of Tourism of France, Morocco, Tunisia, Brazil, Mexico and Nicaragua and for major corporations such as Ritz Carlton, Bulgari, Four Seasons, Accor, and Omni. He writes regular columns for many leisure industry publications and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Aspen Spa Management, LLC
raoul@ aspenspamanagement.com
By RAOUL ANDREWS SURDE
Preamble: This lecture is only designed to inform on the new type of Tourism that is developing around the world, without any secondary message nor advice on why or how to partake.
M
EDICAL TOURISM is predominantly an International phenomenon. It is primarily the result of the out of control cost of medical procedures in most Occidental countries whether they be in Europe or in the United States. The secondary factor that has favored the development of this activity comes from the mediocrity of post-operative care found in most western developed countries today! In the United States, as the Healthcare debate goes on, the issue is essentially concentrated of how to pay for Health care? Not necessarily on how to decrease cost: neither, of care nor on how to improve the quality of care! So when one compares cost and services, it will be evident that in most cases it will make a lot of sense to travel elsewhere to get taken care of! So essentially Medical Tourism will flourish as a result of Western countries inabilities to face the
constant increase of cost and the decline of service quality. Some examples: I had two hip replacement surgeries done in Florida. Surgery was great, post op. a disaster, cost for both: $130,000,00! same procedures in Singapore or in India with excellent surgeons many trained in the US or Europe, post op. in five stars hotel quality facilities, with five stars service: cost including travel to and from. From East Coast US : $20,000.00. Another example: Full dental reconstruction done by a friend of mine who lives in Miami: $ 12,000.00 in Bogota Columbia! Same procedure in similar dental clinic in Miami: $100,000.00. In Europe, Medical Tourism is primarily centered on procedures that are not reimbursed by the State, mostly Cosmetic surgery, or procedures not recognized, therefore not authorized in that particular country. Face lifts, Breast augmentation etc. cost - to - of what it costs in Europe when you have it done in the Middle East or in North Africa! Most often done by European or American surgeons! Wellness Tourism on the other hand is a totally different animal? It has emerged from two significant trends in the way