Today's global medical tourism industry

Trends in global medical tourism

The medical tourism market is growing steadily worldwide. It is estimated that more than 14 million people travel abroad for medical tourism each year, and this figure is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7%, reaching approximately USD 822.7 billion by 2034.


The major countries of foreign patients visiting Korea in 2023 are Japan (187,711 people), China (112,135 people), the United States (76,925 people), Thailand (30,844 people), and Mongolia (22,080 people). In this issue, we will look at the current medical industry market and medical tourism trends of the major countries of medical tourists visiting Korea, ranked from 1st to 5th.

1. Japan

In 2023, 187,711 Japanese patients visited Korea, accounting for 31% of all foreign patients, ranking first among major visiting countries. In particular, demand for dermatology and plastic surgery treatment skyrocketed, showing an astonishing increase of 762.8% year-on-year. Among Japanese patients, the proportion of women reached 93.9%, and by age group, those in their 20s (48.6%) accounted for the largest share.

Japan ranks third in the world medical tourism index and is a highly regarded destination for cancer treatment, health examination, and hot springs. Among foreign medical tourists visiting Japan, 70-80% are Chinese, with Vietnam and Russia being the other major visiting countries.

Although Japan has expertise in the medical tourism sector, it recognizes Korea’s services and technology in the dermatology and plastic surgery sectors. In particular, the main distribution of medical procedures received by many Japanese women in their 20s visiting Korea was dermatology (64%), plastic surgery (19%), internal medicine (7.3%), and oriental medicine (5.6%). Korea’s excellent medical technology and service quality contribute to attracting Japanese patients and significantly drive continuous demand for medical services related to beauty.

2. China

In 2023, 112,135 Chinese patients visited Korea, accounting for 18.5% of all foreign patients and ranking 2nd among major visiting countries. The main treatment fields were dermatology (37.9%), integrated internal medicine (14%), and plastic surgery (13.8%).

The Chinese government is expanding the market by announcing active strategies to revitalize the medical tourism industry. The size of the Chinese medical tourism market in 2022 is estimated at approximately USD 8.936 billion (approximately KRW 7.8041 trillion), and it is expected to continue to grow at a CAGR of 16% over the next 10 years.

In particular, Hainan Province is the center of the Chinese government's medical tourism policy and aims to attract 500,000 medical tourists by 2025. Hainan Province is positioned as an international medical tourism destination, offering the best medical services with a mild climate and convenient accommodations.

The spread of Korean culture has also positively affected the revitalization of the Chinese beauty medical market. Korean plastic surgery and dermatology services have become particularly popular among Chinese customers. In addition, Korea plans to attract global customers through wellness-oriented treatments such as acupuncture and oriental medicine.

There are 41 Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited medical institutions in China, and China ranked 33rd in the 2020-2021 global medical tourism index, making it into the top 40.

3. United States

Even before the pandemic, millions of Americans were using medical tourism abroad to save 40-80% on healthcare costs, according to Patient Beyond Borders.

• Mexico and Costa Rica: Mainly medical tourism, including dental care, plastic surgery, and prescription drugs
• Thailand, India, Korea: highly preferred in various fields such as orthopedics, cardiovascular, cancer treatment, and infertility treatment

The primary purpose of medical tourism for American patients is to save money. The uninsured rate in the United States is still high at 5.8%, increasing the demand for overseas medical institutions that can replace expensive medical services.

American patients visiting Korea in 2023
As of 2023, the total number of American patients visiting Korea was 76,925, accounting for 12.7% of all foreign patients. The main treatment areas were dermatology (18.2%), internal medicine (16.7%), plastic surgery (14.9%), examination center (11%), and orthopedics (4.2%). In addition, the total number of U.S. military patients in Korea was 8,368, accounting for 10.9% of all U.S. patients, and most of them use medical services through military-related insurance and medical support.

Characteristics of American medical tourism
The high cost of medical care and the limitations of the insurance system in the United States make overseas medical tourism more attractive to American patients. Korea is trusted by American patients not only for cosmetic medical services such as dermatology and plastic surgery but also for health examination and orthopedic treatment.

4. Thailand

Thailand is ranked 17th on the World Medical Tourism Index and is the 3rd most popular country for medical tourism worldwide. Thailand offers 50-75% lower medical costs than the U.S. and is positioned as a hub for medical and wellness services.

Thailand's competitiveness in medical tourism
① Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation
o Thailand has 61 JCI-accredited medical facilities (as of May 2023).

② Major medical institutions
o Bumrungrad Hospital
- Bumrungrad Hospital introduced the first robot-assisted surgical technique for prostate cancer surgery in 2016 and operates a robotic surgery center with five doctors using the da Vinci system.
- The hospital has established a world-class heart research center specializing in the treatment of coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, progressive heart failure and heart transplantation, structural heart disease, cardiac genetics, and congenital heart disease, as well as preventive treatment.
o Viet Thani Hospital
- ​​Viet Thani Hospital has an integrated solution to effectively treat aortic valve disease, the leading cause of death in elderly patients.
- Its minimally invasive surgery (MIS) enables heart disease surgery with minimal heart incision and without destroying bone structure.
- The hospital provides services in more than 20 languages ​​and treats 300,000 foreign patients from more than 150 countries every year.

③ Government support
o The Thai government rigorously invests in the medical industry as well as beauty, wellness, and lifestyle industries. It aims to attract foreign patients and advance medical tourism by combining the medical and tourism industries.

In 2023, the total number of Thai patients visiting Korea was 30,844, accounting for 5.1% of all foreign patients. There was a high demand for dermatology and plastic surgery medical services, mainly in dermatology (45.4%), plastic surgery (35.5%), and internal medicine (6.8%).

5. Mongolia

Mongolia is a market where the demand for overseas medical tourism is steadily increasing due to the limitations of domestic medical services. More than 80,000 people travel abroad for medical tourism every year, and the size of the Mongolian medical tourism market is estimated at 120 to 150 million dollars. According to Korea Tourism Statistics, 22,080 Mongolians visited Korea in 2023, accounting for 3.6% of all foreign patients, which increased by 35.9% year-on-year (14,148 Mongolian medical tourists in 2022). The main medical departments visited by Mongolian patients were internal medicine (28%), obstetrics and gynecology (9%), examination centers (8%), and plastic surgery (5%) (as of 2023).

Source : Korea Health Industry Development Institute, International Medical Information Portal

Other Article