Tourism industry stakeholders are taking advantage of Thailand’s political crisis to draw attention to the Philippines as an alternative destination for medical care and wellness. "The situation in Thailand will prompt the market to look for alternative destinations," Tourism Congress of the Philippines executive vice president Cesar Mario Mamon told InterAksyon.com. "But there is no guarantee that we will be the preferred destination,” he said, adding that this is where niche marketing can play a role. "Our areas of expertise are dental, cosmetic, health and wellness and eye care. Hopefully we can capitalize on these distinct areas of medical tourism," Mamon said. Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said the Philippines has enjoyed a spike in surgery for orthopedics because of Thailand’s strife.
"People who are travelling [to the Philippines] with foreign passports have sought treatment in the Philippines. Now I should qualify that could include Filipino-Americans," Jimenez told a reporters during a recent press conference. According to the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), the world’s top destinations for medical tourism are Thailand, Singapore, US, India, Malaysia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Jordan, UK, the Philippines, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and Belgium. Taiwan, Korea and China are expected to grab a bigger slice of the market in the future, but for now Thailand is the Philippines’ closest rival.
Amid Thailand`s strife, PH tourism industry tries to grab some attention
