Opportunities in Healthcare Travel Guest Speaker: Ruben Toral

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Opportunities in Healthcare TravelGuest
Speaker Ruben Toral

• PATA Webinar
• June 11, 2009

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Ruben Toral

• President of
• International Medical Travel Association
• CEO of Mednet Asia Ltd.
• Founder of medeguide.com

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Opportunities in Healthcare Travel

• Ruben Toral, CEO, Mednet Asia Ltd and President,
  International Medical Travel Association

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We live in a sick world

• Deaths from chronic diseases will increase
  worldwide by 17 percent between 2005 and 2015.
• The world now has more people who are overweight
  than hungry.
• By 2015, the number of overweight and obese
  adults in China and India will grow by 66 percent
  and 44 percent, respectively.

Source PWC
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Top Selling Rx Drugs (2006)
Source Forbes 06
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Megatrends Reshaping Healthcare
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Evolution of Medical Tourism

• USA and Europe are centers of the healthcare
  universe
• Singapore is the medical hub in Asia
• People travel for high end - high cost medical
  treatment

• Price is now a factor
• Emergence of alternatives to the established
  players
• Shift from sellers market to buyers market

• Emergence of Thailand and India as legitimate
  medical destinations
• Arab exodus
• Cosmetic surgery boom

• 1st world managed care model is dysfunctional
• Medical outsourcing seen as a cost containment
  solution
• Rise in chronic , age related and lifestyle
  disease diseases

2007- US healthcare crisis
Pre 1997
1997-2001 Asian Crisis
2001-2006 September 11
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Popular Topic
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Medical Tourism is a GROWTH business

• Already a robust business
• 1.2 million in Thailand
• 410,000 in Singapore
• 300,000 in Malaysia
• 450,000 in India
• High spend, long stay
• Megatrends point to continued growth
• Asia is the dominant player
• Regional capture

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But..

• Medical travel is too narrowly defined around
  illness not wellness
• Travel industry doesnt know where and how to get
  involved
• Liability issues are a real barrier to entry
• Governments talk about it, but no clear support
• Where to start?

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Rethink Healthcare travel not just medical
travel

• Look at all aspects of healthcare
• Spas
• Wellness
• Retreats
• Treatment
• Retirement
• Rehabilitation

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Medical
Wellness retreats
Medical Treatment
Well
Sick
Spa treatment
Check ups
Leisure
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Restructure Packages around health and wellness

• Travel packages with low risk, health and
  wellness components
• Check ups
• Promote more health and wellness retreats
• Corporate
• Disease condition
• Lifestyle

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Reposition Healthy destinations

• Sell destinations for what they can do to improve
  health and wellbeing
• Offer full range of products and services
• Package

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Summary

• Opportunity to create a new travel segment in
  health using spas and medical tourism as anchors
• Travel industry should focus on low risk, value
  added services and retreats that focus on
  lifestyle and disease management
• Everyone is looking for new business
  opportunities
• Travel understands how to package, healthcare
  facilities dont
• PATA and IMTA will help the two industries come
  together