Medical and recovery tourism revenues globally are estimated at nearly $100 billion, of which the size of Arab tourists’ expenditure amounts to about $30 billion, according to Arab Tourism Organization (ATO).
The $100 billion revenues from the two streams are expected to double in the next 10 years, a report by ATO said.
Dr. Bandar Al Fihaid, President of ATO, said the surging revenues from medical and recovery tourism indicated the importance of further development of these sectors in the Arab region and benefit from its impacts on the region’s economy and investment.
Speaking on the eve of the 7th World Medical Tourism Summit scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan, on July 23-24, Dr. Al Fihaid said more than 60 experts and specialists in the field of medical and recovery tourism representing 20 Arab and world countries are expected to take part in the event.
Highlighting the fundamentals of medical and recovery tourism, he said the Arab world is characterised by the availability of natural fundamentals including mineral-rich hot fountains and seawater in addition to advanced medical centers equipped with medical and scientific skilled personnel in this field.
Recently, a number of Arab countries have put in place long-term strategies and plans to lay the necessary foundations for a state-of-the-art medical and recovery tourism, he said, citing Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE.
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