A fresh survey claims that over 470,000 foreign visitors came to Seoul last year specifically for medical purposes.
To boost medical tourism in Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on May 30 that it will be hiring 200 new partner groups.
Over 470,000 international visitors came to Seoul for medical tourism in 2023, more than the number that came in 2019 before COVID-19. Synergies between the COVID-19 pandemic’s termination and K-pop’s rise in popularity, which has improved Seoul’s reputation, are blamed for the increase.
On May 30, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute released data showing that 473,340 international visitors came to Seoul in 2023 specifically for medical tourism. This number is 3.2 times higher than the 2022 figure of 146,310. Additionally, this surpassed the 320,284 medical tourists that came to Seoul in 2019, the year that the COVID-19 epidemic didn’t start. From 60,000 to 70,000 medical tourists in 2020 and 2021—when the number of international visitors fell precipitously as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic—this represents a noteworthy comeback.
Particularly, hospitals in the Seoul region are becoming more and more popular among medical tourists. 78 per cent of Korea’s overall medical tourism population (605,768) was made up of visitors from Seoul. Compared to the proportion of 59% the year before, this is a significant gain.
According to NUMBEO, which publishes a worldwide healthcare service index, Seoul ranked second in the world in 2023 for both healthcare expenses and services, behind Taiwan. Foreign visitors to Seoul for medical tourism expressed specific gratitude for the proficiency of Korean medical personnel, the calibre of treatment and diagnostic tools, and the quickness of tests.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization are seeking 200 new medical tourism partners in Seoul between May 30 and June 18 to meet the city’s increasing demand for medical travel. Medical facilities like hospitals and clinics, travel agencies, and other tourism-related service providers like accommodation and wellness centres are among the targets.
Following an assessment of the organizations’ track record of drawing in international patients and their future goals, the Seoul Metropolitan Government intends to make the chosen organizations public in August.
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