Skift Take
Medical tourism touches multiple industries and helps grow jobs and local economies in ways that other kinds of tourism can't. Destinations known as medical travel havens are often the countries that have the most to gain from increased tourism.
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Some travelers visit destinations to get sun tans and eat great food. Others visit to get tummy tucks and cosmetic surgeries that are less expensive than at home.
Medical tourism is growing around the world and in some countries much faster than others. CNBC recently discussed the mass popularity of such travel in Brazil, where medical tourism is expected to increase 40 percent during the next five years. Brazil is second only to the U.S. in cosmetic surgeries, many of which are performed on international travelers, and surgeries often cost 30 to 50 percent less for the same quality service they'd receive in the U.S. or elsewhere.
International travelers visiting the U.S. also spent $26.1 million on medical and
