Greece's Next Hot Export Could Be Medical Tourism

For years, Greece's hot export has been leisure tourism, with millions of foreigners visiting the country to enjoy the blue beaches, the sunny sky and the ancient sites where Western civilization was born.

Nowadays, Greece is still a popular destination for leisure tourists, but it is beginning to attract another type of crowd: medical tourists. These people visit the country to take advantage of its high quality inexpensive medical services, especially those in countries like the U.S. with a high cost of medical services.

For instance, a visit to a specialist in Greece costs around $50, less than the standard co-pay for major U.S. insurance plans, while a visit to an emergency hospital room costs $150. In addition, a 90-day supply of blood pressure medication Diovan costs $40 in Greece, about the same as the co-pay for U.S. insurance plans.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Athens Medical Association estimate that Greece could attract 100,000 tourists annually, generating 400 million euros in revenues.

To find out how a small country like Greece ends up competing in the medical service sector and how Americans take advantage of it, International Business Times spoke with Dr. George Patoulis, president of the Athens Medical Association and Elitour, the Greek Health Tourism Council.

How can Greece be able to export medical services?

Greece has developed a significant medical staff educated in the best European and American universities, combined with internationally accredited medical centers, under the positive synergy of the State and the Greek Medical Tourism.

The country where the medicine was born offers the global public attractive medical tourism packages, combining quality, safety, competitive prices and tourist activities in one of the most popular destinations in the world.

What would be a few examples of medical services where Greece has a competitive advantage?

There's a long list: orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastic and cosmetic surgery, dermatology, fertility, transplantation, cardiac surgery, dialysis, dentistry, rehabilitation, anti-aging, weight control and longevity programs.

Private health care providers offer these high-quality services at competitive prices in an excellent climate conducive to a speedy recovery period. As is the flexible, case-specific legal framework, such as in the field of in vitro fertilization. It's constantly increasing global interest in attracting infertile couples.

What is the profile of a typical medical tourist?

Thus far, the average medical tourist in Greece is 45-55 years old, middle- or upper-income and stays in the country for an average of seven days with another person's companion. They usually come to Athens and spend around €5,000, unlike ordinary tourists who spend €1,500 in the same period. The goal is to jumpstart the development and popularity of Greece as a medical tourism destination.

What are the growth prospects of this market?

By 2030, WHO estimates the global burden of diseases to increase to 56%, which will boost medical travel demand, specifically for health and prevention and longevity through wellness tourism.

Greek Health Tourism Council, Elitour, estimates that 56% of medical tourists after the pandemic are seeking better treatment, 22% are seeking foreign destinations with the aim of lower costs, 10% are looking for treatment as soon as possible where internationally accessible, while 18% of patients are looking for treatment options not available in their countries.

These factors suggest that Greece can attract medical tourists from the ever-growing global market in the geographical meeting point of East-West.

Are there any medical tourism packages available?

There is a long list of packages in cardiology, dentistry, diagnostics, general surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, hemodialysis, IVF, neurological surgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics, plastic surgery, psychiatry and rehabilitation.

Prospective medical tourists can directly communicate with medical personnel through video conferences before they arrive in our country, examining the requested treatment and proposing flexible solutions, always under medical and travel safety.

How can Americans take advantage of Greece's medical tourism?

According to the CDC, medical tourists from the United States usually travel to Mexico, Canada, and many other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to take advantage of the low-cost medical services of these countries.

The most common medical services that American medical tourists are looking for are dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation and cancer treatment. These are areas Greece offers superior services at very competitive costs alongside a "healing" environment in nature, climate, healthy cuisine and many wellness activities that complement a unique health and wellness experience.