Theme: World Tourism Day 2023.

“Tourism and Green Investment”

Number of Tourists. According to latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT),
the country recorded 2,002,304 international visitor arrivals from Jan. 1 to May 12,
2023. This figure is already higher than the entire year's target for 2022 of 1.7 million
foreign visitors.May 15, 2023

Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement
of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or
business/professional purposes.

Significance

RA 9593 aims to develop a tourism action plan in an effort to establish the industry as
one of the principal instruments of growth in the Philippines. Among others, the Tourism
Act mandates to support the creation of Tourism Enterprise Zones (TEZs).Jan 21, 2019

Green Investments are investment activity that focuses on projects or areas that are
committed to preservation of the environment such as Pollution reduction, Fossil fuel
reduction, conservation of natural resources, generation of alternative energy sources,
project related to cleaning and maintenance of air and water, waste management or any
other type of environmentally-conscious practices.

Green Investing consists of investment activities that focus on companies or

projects committed to the conservation of natural resources.

History on Medical Tourism:

The Philippines is one of the top travel destinations in Southeast Asia, but it’s also fast
becoming one of the top destinations in the world for medical tourists.

Ranked 8th in the world for being a top medical tourism destination, Philippines caters
to about 250,000 foreign patients or clients each year. According to a 2015 list compiled
by global non-profit association for medical tourism and international patient industry,
the International Healthcare Research Center and Medical Tourism Association, the
Philippines garnered the 8th spot based on providing the most suitable healthcare cost,
culture, security, and quality in terms of medical healthcare.
As early as 2006, the Philippines had begun its push to promote medical tourism in the
country thanks to a bill that was passed in the Philippine Congress. Three branches of
the country, which are the DOH (Department of Health), DOT (Department of Tourism),
and the DTI-BOI (Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investments) worked
together to create a roadmap that would put the country on the global map for medical
tourism.

Their efforts have been fruitful with the country being one of the top destinations for
medical tourism today.

Aside from the efforts of the government, as well as the private institutions,

General factors that have contributed to the rise of medical tourism in the
Philippines include:

• the Filipinos’ innate nature of being warm and hospitable;

• English as a second language of use in the country and the general public being
able to speak the global language;
• the tropical climate that promotes healing and relaxation after procedures;
• the highly trained medical practitioners with many of them having had trained or
studied internationally;
• state of the art medical equipment;
• and of course, the lower costs as compared to Western nations.

What is difference between health and wellness?

Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease, or infirmity.

Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make
choices toward, a more successful existence.

Concepts of wellness Tourism

Wellness tourism refers to traveling for health and well-being reasons. DRI
International defines wellness tourism as 'all travel associated with the pursuit of
maintaining or enhancing one's personal wellbeing'.

Wellness tourism not only improves physical health. It also helps boost mental
wellness. A 2020 study reveals that people who see more changes in scenery tend to
be happier.
How is wellness tourism related to health tourism?

Health Tourism is the umbrella term for the subtypes:

a. wellness tourism
b. medical tourism.

Wellness Tourism is a type of tourism activity which aims to improve and balance
all of the main domains of human life including physical, mental, emotional,
occupational, intellectual and spiritual.

Different Types of Tourism Motivators

Motives for all tourists

Novelty seeking Escape/relax Relationship Self-development

Stimulation Self-development (Personal development Nature Self-development (Host-

) Relationship (Security) Self-actualization (Identity) site involvement) Relationship
Nostalgia Romance Recognition (Strengthen)

What is motivation in Travel and Tourism?

Travel Motivation is the inner state of a person, or certain needs and wants of the
tourists that can be considered as one of the most important psychological influences of
tourist behaviour.

Tourism Demand is defined as the number of people that plan to buy tourism
products supported by sufficient purchasing power and spare time in order to meet
tourism needs of people.

Purpose of Health and Wellness Tourism

Wellness Tourism is travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being
through physical, psychological and spiritual activities.

Examples of Health and Wellness Tourism

Wellness Tourists travel to improve or maintain their health and quality of life,
whereas
Medical Tourists travel to receive treatment for a diagnosed condition.
Wellness Tourism Trips include a variety of activities such as thermal springs, day
spa and hotel spa, thalassotherapy, exercise. Pilates.
Thalassotherapy (from the Greek word thalassa, meaning "sea") is the use of
seawater as a form of therapy. It also includes the systematic use of sea products and
shore climate.

Definitions of health and wellness:

Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease, or infirmity.

Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make
choices toward, a more successful existence.

Difference between Ayurvedic Centres and Spa

1. Spa treatments are based on application of fluids , massages etc. only.
Ayurveda is a complete form of treatment including exercises and medicines
to be taken
2. Spa: Spa don't have disease or therapeutic approach.
Naturopathy: It concentrates more on providing natural therapeutic for the
treatments for diseases. Ayurved: Ayurved deals with science which focuses both
on the preventing & curative ailments by using various treatment as per the
stages of dosha & dhatu.

Ayurvedic Treatment is a science which studies the energy imbalances in a human

body and works toward balancing them properly which leads to good health. Spa
treatments do not follow a science and can be considered artistic. Ayurveda has proved
to be useful in treating serious health conditions.

Dosha is a central term in Ayurveda originating from Sanskrit, which can be translated
as "that which can cause problems", and which refers to three categories or types of
substances that are believed to be present conceptually in a person's body and mind.
These Dosha are assigned specific qualities and functions.

The Ayurveda Elements and the 3 Doshas

Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three types of Doshas, or primary functional energies
in the body. Vata is related to wind. Pitta is related to fire and Kapha relates to water.
These Doshas are related to the elements of nature.

Dhatu in the Human Body

In common terms, the seven types of Dhatus are plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone,
bone marrow and reproductive fluid. In Ayurveda, they are called Sapta Dhatus - Rasa,
Rakta, Mamsa, Meda, Asthi, Majja and Sukhra respectively. Rasa Dhatu's dominant
element is Jala (Water).

Concept of Medical Tourism

Medical Tourism occurs when. consumers elect to travel across international
borders with the intention of receiving some form of medical treatment. This treatment
may span the full range of medical services, but most commonly includes dental care,
cosmetic surgery, elective surgery, and fertility treatment.

What are the activities under Medical Tourism?

The most common types of procedures that patients pursue during medical tourism trips
are elective cosmetic surgery, dentistry, organ transplantation, cardiac surgery and
orthopedic surgery.

3 types of Medical Tourism

Outbound: people who leave the country of their origin to another country to get
healing help. Inbound: people from another country travels to a host country to get
healthcare services.
Domestic: people travel to another city in the same country to get medical help.

Most important Factor in Medical Tourism

The quality of care should always be the primary consideration in medical tourism.

What are the Common Treatments Done?

Most foreign patients who go to the Philippines to do aesthetic and non-complicated

procedures. The most common treatments done include procedures under the following:

• dentistry
• cosmetic surgery
• aesthetic surgery
• weight loss surgery
• rehabilitation
• stem cell therapy
• eye surgery and ophthalmology
• fertility treatments
 • dermatology

How Much Do Medical Treatments Cost in the Philippines?

One of the most attractive features that draw foreigners to the Philippine health system
is the significantly lower cost of procedures, as well as lower costs of accommodation as
compared to other top medical tourism destinations.

Here are some examples of medical procedures cost in the US, and how they compare to
the prices in the Philippines:

Liver Transplant – May cost between $290,000 to $310,000 in the US, only costs
between $120,000 to $150,000 in the Philippines. That makes about 51% to 58% in
savings.

Kidney Transplant – May cost between $200,000 to $250,000 in the US, only costs
between $23,000 to $25,000 in the Philippines. That makes about 88% to 90% in
savings.

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery – May cost between $70,000 to $133,000 in the US,
only costs between $11,500 to $17,500 in the Philippines. That makes about 83 to 86%
in savings.

Breast Augmentation – This procedure may cost between $7,500 to $8,500 in the US,
but breast augmentation in the Philippines only costs between $3,000 to $3,500. That
makes about 58% to 60% in savings.

These are just some comparisons of cost between the country’s prices in terms of
procedures. As you can see, significantly lesser costs are offered in the Philippines,
making it an attractive alternative for many patients or clients who may not have the
financial capacity to carry on such procedures in their home country.

Other patients or clients also opt to have their medical procedures done in the
Philippines so they could travel at the same time. Along with low medical costs, the
Philippines is a top travel destination with a tropical climate, which is perfect for anyone
who wishes to heal and relax right after their surgery or procedures.

Malpractice and Liabilities

The country’s constitution has enough laws to ensure the safety and security of patients
and clients at the hands of practitioners and hospitals. There are also adequate
provisions in the Penal Code for medical malpractice. These laws and provisions make
sure patients and medical clients are protected against negligence and incompetence
from medical practitioners.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Lower cost
• Affordable prices for accommodation – 5-star hotels cost less in the Philippines
compared to other medical tourism destinations
• High quality of hospitals and practitioners – with 5 internationally accredited
hospitals all in one region (Metro Manila)
• The general population in the country speaks English

Disadvantages

• Long flights – for those who live in Canada, the US, and Europe. Some patients or
clients may not be comfortable traveling for more than a few hours due to their
medical condition.
• Lack of research facilities – most practitioners have to study or train
internationally to be able to acquire the necessary skills for certain expertise,
which means mentors and pioneers of procedures are lacking in the country.

One may not think of the Philippines as the top destination for medical treatments but
recent surveys and reports will make you think otherwise. With 5 internationally
accredited hospitals, top notch medical practitioners with Western education and
training, state of the art medical equipment, and topping it all off with the friendly, warm,
and gentle nature of Filipinos, it’s no surprise the Philippines has become indeed one of
the top destinations in the world for medical tourism.

The Healthcare System in the Philippines

There’s not much to say about the public healthcare system in the Philippines, except for
the fact that it is indeed one of the lowest quality in the region. Its private healthcare
system, however, is on a completely different level.

In fact, the country has a total of 5 internationally accredited hospitals, which are: The
Medical City, Makati Medical Center, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, St. Luke’s
Medical Center in Global City, and St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. All hospitals
are located in Metro Manila, and all are certified as institutions for providing excellent
health care by JCI, or the Joint Commission International. JCI is an accreditation and
certification body with over 100 member countries worldwide, and it also happens to be
the only accreditation body for patient safety and quality healthcare.

Evolution of Medical Tourism in the Philippines

Although the Philippine government only started promotingmedical tourism in 2006,

Philippine hospitals have been receiving foreign patients for over three decades now.
There was a time when some Philippine hospitalswere considered the best in the
region, with people from as far as the US seeking medical treatment here.

BENEFITS OF MEDICAL TOURISM

Affordability and Cost-effectiveness

The main reason behind the low prices of medical treatments abroad is the low cost of
labor in the popular medical tourism destinations. Although the treatments are cheap, in
most cases surgical procedures are performed by well trained experts who are using
top notch technology.

Stakeholders in Medical Tourism

Kamassi et al. [38] state that stakeholders in the medical tourism industry consist of
medical tourists, health service providers, government agencies, facilitators,
accreditation and credentialing bodies, health service marketers, insurance providers,
as well as infrastructure and facilities. Kamassi et al.

Why has medical tourism become popular in the Philippines?

According to an analysis of the country's medical tourism industry by the Philippine-

Swiss Business Council (PSBC), the Philippines “is fast becoming an attractive
destination for medical travel owing to the country's wealth of internationally-trained and
English-speaking physicians, state-of-the-art facilities
The Importance of Accreditation in Medical Tourism

Accreditation provides an impartial assessment of a healthcare facility's quality and

safety, ensuring that the services offered meet international standards.

What are the economic benefits of medical tourism?

Health care tourism industry can not only stabilize the health service industry and
tourism, but also drive the development of catering, accommodation, shopping, medical
device manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, construction and other related
industries, which can effectively stimulate economic vitality.

Which Tourism Stakeholder is the most important?

Travellers, including business travellers, and visitors to tourism destinations, sites and
attractions are perhaps the most important stakeholders. Tourists visit attractions; spend
money; and may promote the attractions through word of mouth and social media if their
experience is positive.Jan 22, 2023