Press Release   -

Medical Tourism Market Poised for Strong Growth as Patients Seek Affordable, High-Quality Care Worldwide

The global market for Medical Tourism Market is entering a new era of significant expansion, as patients increasingly travel across countries seeking cost-effective, high-quality treatments tied with tourism and wellness experiences. According to Vantage Market Research, the market value was USD 41.75 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 218.09 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.25% across 2025-2035. This press release provides: key take-aways, market summary, segmentation insights, regional trends, key companies, recent developments, market dynamics and report scope for stakeholders navigating this high-growth domain.

Key Takeaways

1. The medical tourism market is projected to more than five-fold over the next decade, signalling a strong shift in how healthcare is accessed internationally.
2. Cost arbitrage (lower treatment cost abroad), advanced technology availability and shorter wait times are core growth drivers in outbound and inbound flows.
3. Private service providers (hospitals, clinics, facilitators) are set to dominate the landscape, supported by tourism-health packages, accreditation efforts and digital facilitation.
4. Regionally, Europe currently leads market share, but Asia Pacific is expected to post the fastest growth thanks to emerging destinations and improving infrastructures.
5. The report covers segmentation by Treatment Type, Service Provider, Healthcare Service, and Region; offering deep strategic insight for market participants.

Key Market Trends & Insights

Medical tourism is evolving beyond simple cost savings: patients now expect seamless travel-health packages, high-quality clinical outcomes and integrated care post-procedure. The migration of consumers for major treatments (e.g., cardiovascular, cancer, fertility) is rising as developed-country healthcare becomes more costly and access-constrained. Accreditation (such as international JCI standards), digital facilitation (teleconsults, treatment trackers) and destination marketing (medical hubs) are key enablers. The convergence of wellness tourism and medical tourism is creating hybrid models, with patients combining elective treatments, check-ups and leisure. Trust, quality assurance and bundled service propositions are becoming differentiators for destination hospitals and facilitators.

Market Size & Forecast

2024 Revenue: USD 41.75 billion.

2035 Forecast: USD 218.09 billion.

CAGR (2025-2035): 16.25%.

The medical tourism market shows a moderately fragmented to consolidated structure. Major destination hubs (India, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico) and large hospital players dominate inbound flows, while many smaller facilitators and niche providers serve specific treatment/wealth-segments. Key structural features:

1. Strong destination branding and service-ecosystems (hospital + hospitality + travel) influencing competitive positioning.
2. High variations in cost, quality, regulation and accreditation across destinations — making trust, certification and facilitation services central.
3. Growing partnerships between hospitals, travel agencies, medical visa & concierge services, and insurers to build seamless patient journeys.
4. Increasing role of digital platforms and matchmaking services connecting international patients with destination facilities, underpinning volume growth.

Treatment Type Insights

The medical tourism market by treatment type is segmented into Cardiovascular Treatment, Orthopedic Treatment, Cosmetic Surgery, Dental Treatment, Fertility Treatment, Neurological Treatment, and Others. Cosmetic and dental treatments dominate due to lower costs, shorter recovery times, and increasing cross-border patient mobility. Cardiovascular and orthopedic procedures are growing rapidly as patients seek high-quality care at affordable prices. Fertility and neurological treatments are also gaining traction, supported by advanced technologies and favorable regulations in popular destinations like India, Thailand, and Mexico.

Service Provider Insights

Based on service provider, the market is divided into Public and Private. The private sector leads due to better service quality, advanced medical infrastructure, and efficient patient management systems. Private hospitals attract international patients through personalized care, luxury amenities, and medical tourism facilitators. Public institutions, although cost-effective, face limitations in accessibility and wait times. However, several developing countries are partnering public facilities with private investors to enhance global competitiveness and meet rising international patient demand efficiently.

Healthcare Service Insights

The market by healthcare service is categorized into Wellness, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Treatment services dominate, accounting for the majority of medical travel expenditure, particularly for surgical and specialized care. Diagnosis services are expanding as patients seek affordable health screenings and second opinions abroad. The wellness segment is witnessing strong growth due to the surge in demand for holistic therapies, spa treatments, and preventive healthcare tourism in destinations like Bali, Thailand, and India, emphasizing physical and mental well-being integration.

Regional Insights

North America Medical Tourism Market Trends

In North America, outbound medical tourism is increasingly driven by high domestic healthcare costs, long wait times and insurance gaps. Patients from the U.S. and Canada are seeking treatments abroad, particularly for elective, dental, fertility and cosmetic procedures. Additionally, inbound medical tourism (patients going to the U.S.) remains significant for ultra-specialised care. The region benefits from strong insurance support for international care, high disposable income and awareness of global destination options.

Europe Market Medical Tourism Trends

Europe is currently the largest destination region for medical tourism, led by countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Turkey and Spain renowned for healthcare quality, tourism infrastructure and proximity to source markets. Europe offers a blend of advanced treatment facilities, moderate cost, and attractive tourism amenities. Cross-border healthcare within the EU adds further momentum. Health-tourism policies and gateway infrastructure support the inbound flow of medical travellers to European medical hubs.

Asia Pacific Medical Tourism Market Trends

Asia Pacific is poised to be the fastest-growing region in medical tourism, thanks to major hubs like India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Key drivers include lower treatment cost (often 50-70 % less than U.S.), increasingly global-quality hospitals, improving travel connectivity and government support. Large outbound markets (China, Australia) and growing regional middle-classes further fuel inbound flows to Asia Pacific. The region’s growth reflects both volume increases and rising treatment complexity.

Latin America Medical Tourism Trends

Latin America is emerging as a strong destination region for medical tourism, especially for patients from North America seeking dental, cosmetic, bariatric and fertility treatments at lower cost and with fewer regulatory constraints. Countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and Colombia are building infrastructure, specialist clinics and streamlined travel packages. Whilst cost remains a competitive advantage, quality assurance and post-treatment coordination are rising focus areas. Logistics, language and accreditation remain implementation considerations.

Middle East & Africa Medical Tourism Trends

In the Middle East & Africa region, medical tourism is gaining traction via luxury healthcare hubs (UAE, Qatar) and growing regional cross-border flows. GCC countries are positioning themselves as destinations for high-end medical care combined with wellness and tourism. Africa is emerging slowly with specialized clinics targeting niche segments (dental, fertility, orthopedics). Infrastructure, regulatory clarity and post-care continuity remain hurdles, but the region offers substantial growth potential, particularly for inbound flows from nearby regions and expatriates.

Top Key Players Medical Tourism Market

1. Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital
2. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise
3. Asian Heart Institute
4. Barbados Fertility Center
5. Fortis Healthcare Limited
6. KPJ Healthcare Berhad
7. NTT Medical Center Tokyo
8. Prince Court Medical Centre
9. Samitivej PCL
10. Seoul National University Hospital
11. Wooridul Spine Hospital

These organisations offer global patient services, international accreditation, tourism-health packages and strong referral networks. The competitive dynamics involve destination positioning, quality certifications, concierge services, multi-language support, partnerships with travel agencies and insurance integrations.

Recent Developments

1. In October 2024, the government of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism launched a unified national platform for health tourism to coordinate medical and wellness services across the country, aiming to attract international patients and streamline visa/travel-medical flows.
2. In February 2025, digital medical-tourism facilitator MediJourney (India) was launched by home-grown gifting brand to help international patients connect with hospitals in India, signalling the growing role of digital platforms in medical tourism matchmaking.

Market Scope

The Medical Tourism Market Report by Vantage Market Research provides a comprehensive analysis of the industry’s growth trajectory from 2024 to 2035, highlighting revenue trends, CAGR forecasts, and regional performance. The report examines segmentation by Treatment Type (Cardiovascular, Orthopedic, Cosmetic, Dental, Fertility, Neurological, Others), Service Provider (Public, Private), and Healthcare Service (Wellness, Diagnosis, Treatment). It also evaluates market dynamics, key players, and technological innovations driving global patient mobility, focusing on cost advantages, care quality, and cross-border healthcare infrastructure development.

Market Dynamics

Driver:

An important driver of the medical tourism market is the rising cost of healthcare in developed countries, combined with high-quality treatment availability in lower-cost destinations. Patients are motivated by substantial savings (often 50-70% less) and shorter wait times, encouraging cross-border travel.

Restraint:

A key restraint lies in post-treatment follow-up and continuity of care, as medical travellers may face challenges in returning to their home country, leading to risk of complications, coordination hurdles and liability concerns. Regulatory and accreditation inconsistencies across destinations also inhibit trust.

Opportunity:

A major opportunity exists in digital facilitation platforms, integrated travel-health-tourism packages, telehealth follow-ups, and the expansion of non-traditional destination countries with developing healthcare infrastructure. The rise of medical-tourism ecosystems and bundled wellness-care offerings amplify value.

Challenges:

Among the challenges are variations in legal and regulatory frameworks, potential language/cultural barriers, travel/visa logistics, quality trust issues, insurance coverage complexities and ensuring standardisation of international patient safety and operational protocols.

Market Segmentation

1. By Treatment Type: Dental; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Cosmetic; Orthopedic; Fertility; Neurological; Other Treatments.
2. By Service Provider: Public; Private.
3. By Healthcare Service: Medical Treatment; Wellness; Alternative Treatment.
4. By Region: North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What was the size of the global medical tourism market in 2024?

The market was valued at USD 41.75 billion.

1. What is the projected market size by 2035?

It is expected to reach USD 218.09 billion.

1. What is the CAGR for the 2025-2035 period?

16.25%.

1. Which region holds the largest share today?

Europe currently holds the largest share of revenue.

1. Which region is growing fastest?

Asia Pacific is expected to grow fastest over the forecast period.

1. Which segment by treatment type will lead?

Cancer treatment is expected to hold the largest share among treatment types.

1. What are the primary challenges?

Key challenges include follow-up care, regulatory/quality assurance, and patient-destination coordination issues.

1. Who are some major players in the medical tourism market?

Examples include Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., Fortis Healthcare Limited, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, Bumrungrad International Hospital, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Barbados Fertility Center, Samitivej PCL, Mount Elizabeth Hospital.