Medical tourism, or healthcare tourism, is the act of touring overseas to obtain medical, surgical and dental healthcare. Medical tourism is a term coined by travel agencies and the media to describe a speedily growing industry where people of one country travel to another country specifically for the purpose of getting either cheaper or better healthcare services. This process is being expedited by the Corporate sector involved in medical care as well as the tourism industry, both private and public. Medical tourism mixes leisure, entertainment and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare.



Medical tourism healthcare procedures can include elective surgeries like cosmetic surgery, dental implants etc. as well as complex specialized surgeries like knee/hip replacement, heart surgery etc. Medical tourism is quite popular because sometimes the cost of health care treatment in other countries can be a mere one-tenth the cost of the same in the US. The ultimate idea of the health holiday is to offer the customers an opportunity to get away from their daily routine and come into a different relaxing surrounding.

There are basically two types of medical tourism treatments that majority people will consider worth taking a chance on. The first one is plastic surgery. In addition to the cosmetic surgery, people are also likely to engage in medical tourism when it comes to seeking alternative medical treatments. Medical tourism is quickly becoming a hot trend among residents of developed countries with high health care costs.

Popular medical travel worldwide destinations are Colombia, Singapore, India, Thailand, Brunei, Cuba, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and recently, UAE. Popular cosmetic surgery travel destinations are Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey. With the growing years, India, judged as one of the favorite destinations for medical or health tourism.

People from around the world are beginning to realize the potential of modern and traditional Indian medicine. With its state of the art hospitals and highly qualified UK-US trained doctors, it will soon transform into the worldwide medical hub. The Indian medical tourism industry, growing at an annualized rate of 30 percent, caters to patients primarily from the US, Europe and Africa. The medical expenses in India are a fraction of the costs in the US/Europe. India's top-notch private hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, and Max HealthCare have attained international recognition for their state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic centers besides unsurpassed technical skills.

A large draw to medical travel is the convenience in comparison to that of other countries. Many people from the developed world come to India for the rejuvenation promised by yoga and Ayurvedic massage, but few consider it a destination for hip replacement or brain surgery. However, a nice blend of top-class medical expertise at attractive prices is helping a growing number of Indian corporate hospitals lure foreign patients, including from developed nations such as the UK and US. With advanced medical and biotechnological progress, India is leader in selling healthcare the world over. With yoga, meditation, ayurveda, allopathy, and other systems of medicine, India offers a unique basket of services to an individual that is difficult to match by other countries. The tourists' inflow for a wide medical service spectrum from wellness tourism to surgery and rehabilitation has made India the preferred destination for medical tourism.