Reprinted – PR Newswire, 4-28-26
The global medical tourism market is witnessing rapid growth, driven by the availability of advanced medical technologies, rising awareness of medical tourism, and the affordability of treatment in developing countries.
Allied Market Research published a report, titled, “Medical Tourism Market, By Product (Dental Treatment, Cosmetic Treatment, Cardiovascular Treatment, Orthopedic Treatment, Neurological Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Fertility Treatment, and Other Treatments): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032.” According to the report, the global medical tourism market was valued at $97.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $273.7 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 10.1% from 2023 to 2032.
Medical tourism involves the act of traveling primarily to obtain medical treatment. Those participating in medical tourism may journey for a wide range of procedures, including innovative or experimental treatments, and they may opt to visit either developing or developed countries to receive these services. In addition to the usual travel health advice, medical tourists have distinct health needs that call for specialized guidance. These include ensuring the stability of their pre-existing medical conditions for travel and the vital importance of arranging for suitable post-procedure care.
Prime determinants of growth
The major factors driving the growth of the medical tourism market are high-quality medical care at low cost, availability of highly skilled medical professionals, and integration of traditional healthcare therapies. Many countries have invested in developing their healthcare workforce, resulting in a pool of doctors, surgeons, and medical practitioners who are renowned for their expertise and experience. These medical professionals often undergo rigorous training and are frequently affiliated with globally recognized medical institutions.
Market Segmentation
Based on therapeutic category, the medical tourism market has been segmented into:
By Treatment Type:
The report segments the market based on a variety of factors including Dental Treatment, Cosmetic Treatment, Cardiovascular Treatment, Orthopedic Treatment, Neurological Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Fertility Treatment and Other Treatments. Maxillofacial Segment is the leading and fastest growing portion of Cancer Treatment, while Cosmetic Treatment — (Plastic surgery, Hair transplants, Facelift and Skin rejuvenation) signifies highest revenue share in elective procedures. Dental tourism is soaring: patients from the U.S. and U.K. are visiting places like Mexico, Costa Rica and Thailand for implants, veneers, full-mouth reconstructions at a fraction of the domestic price.
Fertility treatments are expected to be the fastest-growing treatment type sub-segment throughout the forecast period. According to WHO data, about one in six adults around the world experience infertility at some stage of their lives and as a result, international IVF clinics, egg donation facilities and surrogacy providers are enjoying an influx of foreign patient requests. Another major contributor is orthopedic surgery: joint replacement, spinal surgery and sports injury, among others, becoming popular in South Korea or Hungary.
By Service Provider:
The market is divided into Public and Private service providers. Private healthcare providers dominate all across geographies due to better infrastructure, lesser patient waiting time, customized care models and robust international patient outreach programs. Even private institutions are leading the way in adoption, allowing patients to easily travel across the globe from consultation through post-operative recovery with digital health solutions.
Regional Insights
Asia-Pacific:
In terms of revenue in 2022, Asia-Pacific accounted for a market share of over one-third of the global medical tourism, and is anticipated to expand at the fastest CAGR of 10.8% during the forecast duration. Key components bolstering the region’s prominence are competitive healthcare costs, top-notch infrastructure, specialized practitioners and government aid programs. In 2024, Thailand received more than 1.2 million foreign patients and South Korea — at least 1.17 million patients from abroad with dermatology accounting for 56.6% of the volume [9]. Compelling cancer, cardiac and orthopedic centers will possibly receive around 7.3 million medical tourists in India in the year 2024 itself. Singapore was servicing the top end with 30,000 overseas oncology & cardiac patients admitted on average op value of >$25K. Local JCI accreditations rose from 800 in 2020 to over 1,100 in 2025, greatly enhancing trust for international patients.
North America:
North America 35 million Americans travel internationally each year for healthcare and U.S. healthcare costs, amounting to more than $4.5 trillion annually, continue to drive patients out-of-country in search of affordable options. At the same time, high income international patients from Canada, Caribbean and Middle East seek care in the United States for complex procedures that cannot be done or are delayed in their own countries. December 2024 showed that American expenditure on educational and health-related tourism reached $6.3 billion, demonstrating the bilateral dimension of medical travel.
Europe:
European hotspots for medical tourism include Germany, Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Turkey has been a global leader in hair transplant and cosmetic surgery tourism as Hungary remains an attractive destination for European dental tourists willing to travel for cheaper implant and orthodontic treatments. German hospitals and clinics, including the Asklepios Kliniken network, attract patients with complex cardiac and neurologic disorders from around Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.
LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East & Africa):
In Latin America Brazil and Mexico are tried-and-tested cosmetic and bariatric surgery destinations,4 while the Middle East is investing heavily in healthcare infrastructure at home to contain the outward flow of medical tourism. In February of 2024, Egypt unveiled a comprehensive platform for health tourism to promote the nation as an eco system of healing and medicine. The Saudi Government is pushing for a regional role, attempting to win bilateral health agreements with Thailand and other nations.
Leading Market Players:
The world medical tourism market would be competitive with multi-hospital networks, specialty clinics, and digital facilitation platforms involved both regionally and globally. Some of the key players profiled in the Allied Market Research report are:
Bumrungrad International Hospital (Thailand): Bumrungrad is among the most recognizable global hospitals and serves customers from over 190 countries. It achieved its 7th JCI reaccreditation in this January 2024, followed by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) for the second time ever with a full score of 100% in excellence category, which was awarded to it last March 2024.
Bangkok Dusit Medical Services / BDMS (Thailand): The largest network of hospitals in Thailand including Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Hospital, and BNH is a strong operational base for regional expansion; In September 2024 BDMS signed a strategic partnership with general partner of Medsi Group (Russia) to provide high quality medical assistance to Russian tourists in Thailand
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited (India): Apollo, one of Asia’s largest healthcare powerhouses, promotes medical tourism actively by offering integrated support for medical visas and international patient services. In August 2025, Apollo Health City, Hyderabad was awarded the International Medical Tourism Award for Excellence in Customer Service.
KPJ Healthcare Berhad (Malaysia): Malaysia’s largest private healthcare provider, KPJ partnered with Marriott International in May 2024 to blend medical expertise with hospitality, improving the recovery experience for global patients.
Fortis Healthcare Limited (India): Recognised as a partner destination for health tourism by Advantage Health Care India in May 2023.
IHH Healthcare (Malaysia/Singapore): Operating as a group spanning 80 facilities across 10 countries, IHH cross-references oncology and cardiac referrals around the world while using bulk procurement to drive down costs.
Key Recent Industry Developments
September 2024: IHH Healthcare increases presence in the region through acquisition of Island Hospital, Malaysia. Now offers international oncology patients capacity
September 2024: Bangkok, Thailand-based BDMS announced an official partnership with Medsi Group of Russia to deliver high-quality organized quality healthcare services to Russian patients receiving treatment in Thailand.
May 2024: KPJ Healthcare Berhad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Marriott International to embark on a strategic alliance that promotes the seamless integration of hospitality services alongside clinical care across Indonesia and Malaysia towards improving the entire patient journey all the way from treatment to recovery.
Bumrungrad International Hospital, in cooperation with BGI (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of BGI Group and Bangkok Genomics Innovation PLC Achievement in Next Generation Medical Tourism (March 2024) to promote more genomic research and precision application for medicine.
March 2025: Samitivej International Children’s Hospital, completed a pediatric wing that makes the hospital more competitive with evolving Thai capabilities as regional health centers for paediatric and family patients from Gulf states.
January 2024: Thailand and Saudi Arabia governments signed a bilateral MoU to enhance cooperation in the medical tourism, health security, and wellness sectors further confirming that the scope of medical travel policy is becoming more political-diplomatic.
February, 2024: The Ministry of Tourism in Egypt launched a unified digital platform for the healing and medical tourism services all through one user interface to consolidate patient experiences while enticing foreign direct investments.
October 2024: New clinical programs and executive medical tourism services are opened in Las Vegas by Cleveland Clinic, a prime example of how medical tourism has advanced to a premium model for personalized concierge healthcare.
August 2025: Apollo Health City, Hyderabad, won the International Medical Tourism Award for Excellence in Customer Service at JW Marriott (Dubai) from International Medical Travel Journal.