Last year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul for medical tourism surpassed 470,000, exce.. – MK

Last year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul for medical tourism surpassed 470,000, exceeding the number in 2019 before COVID-19. In addition to the effect of ending COVID-19, it is believed that Seoul’s recognition has risen due to the popularity of K-pop, creating synergy.

According to data from the Korea Health Industry Promotion Agency on the 30th, 473,340 foreign tourists visited Seoul last year for medical tourism, 3.2 times higher than the previous year, 2022 (146,310). This is more than 322,284 medical tourists in Seoul in 2019, just before COVID-19. In 2020 and 2021, when the number of foreign tourists plunged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of medical tourists was only 60,000 to 70,000 and rebounded significantly.

In particular, medical tourists’ preference for hospitals in Seoul is increasing. Last year, the proportion of medical tourists in Seoul accounted for 78% of the nation’s medical tourists (605,768). This is a significant increase from 59% of the previous year.

According to NUMBEO, which releases healthcare service indices from around the world, Seoul ranked second in the world after Taiwan in evaluating healthcare services and costs in 2023. Foreigners who have experienced medical tourism in Seoul particularly highly evaluated the technology of medical staff, the level of diagnosis and treatment equipment, and the speed of testing.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation will recruit 200 new medical tourism cooperation organizations based in Seoul from this day to the 18th of next month to respond to the growing demand for medical tourism. Subjects are medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics, tourist attraction institutions, and other tourism service-related institutions such as wellness and accommodation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to announce the selected organization in August after evaluating the performance of attracting foreign patients and future plans.

Seoul Medical Tourism Cooperation Agency will be awarded an official certificate of a cooperative organization that is valid for three years until December 2027. The city supports cooperative organizations with various services such as promotion through the medical tourism website, domestic and foreign marketing support, and interpretation coordinators and pickup sanding.

Organizations wishing to participate can check the details through the official notice of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Nuri website or the Seoul Tourism Foundation website.

Kim Young-hwan, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, “We will continue to discover excellent medical wellness institutions that foreign patients trust and visit,” adding, “We will expand cooperation with partner organizations so that patients who visit can experience the charm of Seoul.”