Great growth potential
Seoul is expected to handle 12 million overseas visitors by 2012 and the Korean authorities estimate the city will have 100,000 medical tourists by 2010. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in February 2007 between Seoul Business Agency (www.sba.seoul.kr) and the Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System (snuh.org) Gangnam Center, kicking off the aims for promoting medical travel in Seoul. Efforts include developing medical tour packages, promoting travel marketing to Korean residents abroad and offering foreign-language classes and interpretation related to medical services.
Oriental medicine
Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine (www.jaseng.net) takes the lead in marketing Korea’s achievements in Oriental medicine. Under the guidance of Dr Raimund Royer, head doctor of its International Clinic, Oriental medical services are being made more accessible to foreign tourists. “We already have a large base of international clients and are working with associations and the government to expand our services in Oriental medicine to tourists. We see a great potential in attracting more patients from Japan and other parts of Southeast Asia,” Dr Royer was quoted saying. The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (www.kiom.re.kr/kiom/index.jsp) opened under the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1994 to conduct research and development investments in the fields of basic theory and clinical research for the standardisation and scientification of Oriental medicine.
Urban hospital cooperation
Part of the SBA, the Seoul Tourism Marketing Division was inaugurated last year to promote medical travel by linking up with major medical institutions in Seoul to jointly attract foreign patients. The division’s role is to develop and commercialise medical tour programmes connected to competitive medical services, examinations, traditional medicine services and other specialised medical treatments.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
