Do you want to start a medical tourism business? This guide provides a plan to help you get started.
Before discussing the details of establishing a medical tourism business, we must first comprehend what medical tourism entails.
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What is Medical Tourism?
A medical tourism service assists patients in locating the best doctors, hospitals, and coordinating trip plans, both international and interstate.
The facilitators also act as liaisons between the patient’s family and the medical team – further enhancing the experience by providing recreational activities for the patients.
Medical tourism, also referred to as health tourism or wellness tourism, is an industry that has grown quickly. People all over the world travel to other countries for medical, dental, and surgical services while exploring what the destination has to offer.
Entrepreneurs with knowledge of medical services and facilities can benefit financially from the medical tourism industry.
Is Medical Tourism Business Profitable?
In the last ten years, the medical tourism industry has grown exponentially. This is thanks to a combination of factors in both advanced and developing countries.
Companies are now popping up to help those in developed nations access healthcare services from developing nations.
The following are contributing factors to the expansion of medical tourism:
- Elderly populations in industrialized nations.
- In developed countries, escalating medical expenses and long wait times are often issues.
- Developed nations struggle with inadequate health insurance coverage.
- Enhancing technology and care standards in developing nations.
- Medical expenses are generally lower in developing countries.
- Leisure and tourism activities provide additional benefits beyond medical treatment.
The medical tourism industry in the U.S. was worth an estimated USD 6.7 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% over the next few years.
8 Steps to Start a Medical Tourism Agency Business
Succeeding in medical tourism requires two key elements: networking and impeccable customer service. Give your clients a chance to receive the best medical care abroad at
1. Understand the Market
Estimating the market size of medical tourism is essential before investing. Do thorough research, analyze possible opportunities and threats, and consider hiring a professional market research agency if funds allow.
2. Tie up with Best Medical Care Facilities
The key to a successful medical tourism agency is partnering with top-notch healthcare facilities and doctors. You should visit them in person if possible, or research their credentials online.
Negotiating to get the best offers is essential, as it’ll allow you to provide competitive pricing to your customers. Without favorable prices, you won’t be able to stay in the market.
3. Create a Business Plan
Once the market research report is acquired, it’s time to write up a business plan. This report not only helps outline and plan, but it also assists in procuring funding. Crucial topics the medical tourism business plan should cover are as follows:
- What is the required initial and ongoing investment?
- How much would the salary be?
- Market Research Report
- Operational Plan
- Manpower Plan
- Financial Plan
- Marketing Plan
- Services to be Offered
- Tour Plan Packages
As a beginner in the medical tourism agency business, a key factor to consider when outlining your plan is the number of patients you can handle simultaneously. It’s essential to not forget that this type of business provides services, and excellent customer service is essential for success.
4. Services You Can Provide in Medical Tourism Business
The medical tourism industry provides a variety of services that can be offered to customers, such as:
- Assist with obtaining a medical visa.
- Making reservations for travel to the destination country;
- Airport shuttle services.
- Consultation with appropriate specialists;
- Pre-operation accommodation;
- Scheduling a hospital stay for surgery.
- Accommodation for post-operative recuperation;
- Making preparations for post-operative care in a foreign nation.
- When you’re done in the country, book your return travel home.
- Securing emergency insurance in case of surgery results in any serious and unanticipated complications requiring extensive hospital stays.
- Arranging Travel insurance.
5. Form a Business Structure
When starting a business, you should select the right business structure for your state and country. Consult a knowledgeable person or professional to figure out what type of company works best based on the size of your venture.
An LLC is a popular choice for U.S. business owners, as it offers certain advantages with minimal cost. You can easily hire an online LLC formation provider to register your company.
6. Get Certified and Procure Licenses and Permits
Becoming a professional in the medical tourism industry entails improving your credentials and gaining certificates from the relevant government tourist board.
Medical tourism, part of the tourism sector, involves working with foreign customers. It’s usually simpler to hire an expert if you’re not familiar with the permits needed.
7. How to Setup Medical Tourism Business
Initiating the medical tourism enterprise necessitates considerable monetary expenditure. As you enter the service sector and provide excellent hospitality services, you will need to dedicate your attention to recruiting personnel for your company.
You will need to furnish an office in a desirable commercial setting for the undertaking. Establish providers instated with agreements for your enterprise.
As a medical tourism provider, you should recommend customized and cost-efficient healthcare services that fit within your clients’ budgets; set the pricing accordingly.
Moreover, contact the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary licenses and permits to run medical tourism businesses.
8. Promote Your Medical Tourism Business
It is recommended to hire a PR firm for advertising activity, both online and off. Construct your digital presence through a corporate website. In today’s world, 87% of people utilize the web for most of their traveling arrangements. Center on SEO and the most essential element in improving your SEO is to make riveting content.
As people’s attention spans are getting shorter, visuals are becoming more important. Ensure to include attractive visuals on your website, blog, and social media – this encourages engagement and helps share your service with others.
Put effort into creating customized journey plans for each customer. Ensure customer satisfaction and solicit feedback from them. Thoroughly plan the trip to guarantee that you have highly qualified, skilled docs – the best available in the region.
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