Aussie medical tourism boost
According to The Cairns Post while medical tourism is big business in Asia, and despite the fact thousands of Australians are taking part, it is still very much in its infancy in Australia.
But given its rapid growth, it’s not surprising one of the country’s first forays into the multi-million dollar industry is attracting attention from tourism organisations.
Cairns Fertility Clinic expects to open its doors in March in a purpose built clinic in the Cairns Central Plaza building on the corner of McLeod and Apiln Sts on the edge of the city centre.
The clinic is being set up by West Australian IVF pioneer Dr John Yovich, his wife Jeanne and financial controller Doug Yek.
The difference between their new venture and their existing PIVET Medical Centre in Perth is that this will essentially be a one-stop for couples undergoing IVF treatment.
Not only will they undergo their IVF treatment in the clinic, they will also be able to stay in one of the five-star resort apartments above it.
And if they want to, the patients could even have cosmetic surgery work done during their stay in one of the associated medical businesses which will be co-located in the 12-storey building.
Mr Yek, who was in Cairns last week to monitor progress on the building, said the clinic was aiming for a 50 per cent Australian and 50 per cent international market.
It is this international market that has the support of tourisnm organisations who see the potential of medical tourism.
Links have already been established in China and India where Mr Yek said the rising middle class wealthy would be the target market to come to Cairns for IVF treatment and a holiday in a tropical location at the same time.
“Medical tourism is big business in South-East Asia and hopefully this sets the benchmark in Australia and starts the ball rolling for other projects,” Mr Yek said.
Recently Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Matt Hingerty pointed to medical and health tourism as an area that could be a market to put Australia back on the tourism map.
Mr Hingerty said predictions were for as many as six million Americans flying overseas for medical treatment by 2010.
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle is a major supporter of medical/health tourism.
Ms Boyle said the IVF clinic “was a great opportunity” for government and industry to look seruiously at opportunities presented by medical and health tourism.
“In the early 1990s a group in Cairns looked at similar opportunities and did studies, but in the end it lost momentum,” Ms Boyle said.
She said beyond the IVF and cosmetic procedure tourism, Cairns presented an ideal opportunity to provide mining companies throughout the country and Pacific basin with a destination for annual health checks for workers as well at the same time as their holidays.
“The reason I am so keen on this is it would more business for the town but it would also bring more private sector involvment in the city’s health industry.”
A Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements