It’s an ingenious marketing strategy and highlights the vital link between social media and the growth of health tourism.
Since the start of the 21st century, health tourism has become a huge worldwide trend. But what exactly is health tourism? More importantly, why has it become so popular? All of this (and more) is answered below.
What is health tourism
Health tourism, also known as medical tourism, is when a person travels to another country or city for medical care. According to the CDC, this is something that millions of US residents do every year. In addition to this, millions of other people across Europe, Asia, and Africa also engage in health tourism. For example, it’s common for men to travel abroad so that they can receive hair transplants from specialist providers such as hshairclinic.co.uk. Similarly, some women travel to different countries for breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures.
What are the most common health tourism procedures
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most common medical procedures that people travel to other countries for:
- Breast augmentation
- Liposuction
- Lip fillers
- Tummy tuck
- Facelift
It’s possible that you know someone that has undergone one – or multiple – of these procedures over recent years since health tourism has become so popular.
Why is health tourism popular
There are two main reasons why health tourism has become so popular:
- Availability
- Cost-savings
Firstly, some medical procedures aren’t available to people in their domestic countries. As a result, they might fly to a country that offers the procedure they’re looking for. In countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation are much more available, which is why many American and UK citizens fly there for this specific purpose.
Next, there’s the money aspect. In an age where the cost of living is at an all-time high, people want to save money on medical procedures. Whenever there’s an opportunity to cut down on costs, the average person will take it. So, if someone from the US is looking to get liposuction and it’s available for them in, say, a European country at a significantly reduced price, then they’re more likely to do it – simple.
If the opportunity to save money weren’t there, then people would stick with medical procedures in their own countries. However, this isn’t the case anymore – and it hasn’t been the case for a long time. The truth is, if you look around hard enough, you can find plenty of cost-saving opportunities when it comes to health and cosmetic procedures abroad.
How social media has also impacted health tourism
Another important reason behind the growth of health tourism has been the rise of social media. Now, celebrities and influencers spend a lot of time promoting cosmetic procedures for clinics and healthcare practices in other nations. When their followers see this, they engage with the clinics and healthcare practices, which then leads to increased health tourism.
Also, these clinics and practices can use social media to promote their services and show potential clients that they’re trustworthy and reliable. For example, if you see that a Botox clinic in Mexico has excellent online reviews and case studies, then you’ll automatically feel more comfortable traveling there to use it. It’s an ingenious marketing strategy and highlights the vital link between social media and the growth of health tourism.
