What is the future of medical tourism after coronavirus
The lockdown is still in place in affected countries and it will be lifted cautiously and gradually. On top of that, the travel ban will still be in place even after the quarantine is lifted. However, the travel industry, especially medical tourism will boom after the COVID-19 is controlled.
During these hard times, social distancing is pressurizing everyone. People are realizing what a blessing is the ability to go out and travel and be in contact with others. The coronavirus pandemic will be over and people will want to go on a trip to wash away all the anxiety and stress. So, medical wellness services and hot springs will attract travelers around the world.
COVID-19 disease made people look deeper into their health condition. Individuals who are considered high-risk and prone to COVID-19 will want to improve their health status to be safe and to acquire a strong body to combat any future disease.
Also, most of the capacities of the hospitals and medical centers are allocated to COVID-19 and non-emergency procedures and surgeries are on hold. When the travel ban is lifted, people will seek to travel to other countries to have their treatment because the requests will be more than the hospitals' capacities and the healthcare system will be overhauled.
The reaction of the healthcare system of countries hit by coronavirus has shown the world another side of medical capabilities. The dysfunctional healthcare system in affected countries pushes a lot of the patients to look beyond their borders.
Iran was one of the first countries that got involved with COVID-19. However, due to the serious and quick reaction of Iran’s healthcare system, the number of infected and dead patients are much less than other countries that were infected after Iran.
In Iran, the companionate frontliners and medical staff from emergency services to specialists, all are working hours without rest to make sure the patients receive the care they need.
Before the coronavirus, medical tourism was a growing industry in Iran. Like other countries, the industry is hit hard by coronavirus pandemic. However, in the light of this disease, a lot of new technologies and services have been added to the already significant medical capacities of Iran.
Iran was placed in the “insignificant risk” category by Travel Risk Map in 2019 alongside countries such as Denmark. Furthermore, according to WEF’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 Iran is the most affordable country in the world.
In 2019 Iran was the third fastest growing country in the medical tourism field. A country like Iran, with a lot of natural, medical and historical attractions, will bounce back again after the coronavirus pandemic is over.