Medical tourism in South Korea is growing in popularity among Russian tourists every year. The Seoul Tourism Organization conducted a study tour for travel agencies and presented the diverse opportunities for this type of tourism in the country.
From October 31 to 3 On November 28, twenty representatives of leading medical tourism companies from Russia and Kazakhstan were able to personally evaluate the high level of medical services at Seoul's clinics and the city's tourism infrastructure.
Russia and Kazakhstan are important markets for South Korea. In 2016, the number of medical tourists from these countries was 13,204 and 10,446, respectively (data from Seoul). According to forecasts, Russia and Kazakhstan could overtake China in terms of tourist flow.
Russia currently ranks third in the number of tourists coming to Seoul for medical purposes, while Kazakhstan ranks first in terms of the growth rate of tourist flow.
Statistics on the flow of medical tourists to Seoul
Ten Russian and ten Kazakh companies, which send the largest number of patients to Korea and have an interest in the Korean medical tourism market, were invited to a familiarization tour of Seoul.
Participants of the trip include: INTERCLINIC, VERNAL, ALLASIA, BENEFIT, AG Tour, Turkompas, Terminal, Classic Tour (RF); NEW LIFE COMPANY, KoreaVision, Astana KoreaVision, Almaty ALLASIA, VERNAL, Medsputnik, Korea Vision Tour, Korean Medical Travel (Kazakhstan).
A busy business program awaited travel agency representatives. As part of the introductory tour on November 1, business meetings were held, where invited travel agencies received a wealth of useful information and established contacts with local companies and clinics specializing in medical tourism.
Agency representatives also visited several clinics in Seoul, where they were able to experience local medical capabilities firsthand, try out some procedures, and ask any questions they had.
In addition, during the trip, the tour operators explored new sights of the city, attended a music show, and sampled Korean cuisine.
The Seoul Tourism Organization plans to continue to inform travel agencies about the medical services offered by Seoul's clinics and introduce them to the city's health and tourism infrastructure.
“Through this medical tourism awareness program in Seoul, we will also have the opportunity to strengthen the demand for medical tourism from countries that are showing good growth in this market, as there is a possibility of a decline in the number of tourists from China due to the THAAD missile defense issue,” said Kim Tae-myung, head of the Seoul Tourism Organization's tourism department.
Discover Seoul Pass sales are now open.
In addition to medical tourism, South Korea will attract tourists from around the world with its upcoming Olympic Games. The Winter Olympic Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from February 9 to 25, 2018.
Starting November 1, 2017, the Seoul Tourism Organization will launch the Discover Seoul Pass for the convenience of international tourists. This will offer travelers additional opportunities.
City visitors will be able to use the ticket to receive discounts (from 10 to 50%) at over 60 tourist attractions in the Gangwon-do district, including recreation centers, hotels, entrance fees to tourist sites, transportation, and more. The ticket will also be valid for theaters and duty-free shops.
In addition, tourists will be able to visit 21 Seoul tourist attractions free of charge. Tickets will be available for purchase at Incheon Airport and Seoul Tourism Information Centers.
TRN expresses its gratitude to the Seoul Tourism Organization for the warm welcome and excellent organization of the event.
Source: trn-news.ru
