In recent years, with the global medical tourism market size exceeding 100 billion US dollars, many cities in China, relying on their medical technology advantages and policy dividends, are becoming new choices for international patients. In 2024, China will implement visa-free entry policies for many countries, injecting strong impetus into the medical tourism industry. Data shows that after the implementation of the visa-free policy, the number of international medical patients in cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou has increased by 40% year-on-year, among which the proportion of patients from Southeast Asia and the Middle East has significantly risen. This policy not only simplifies the entry process but also promotes the innovative upgrade of the "medical care + tourism" service model.

The visa-free policy activates the potential of the medical tourism market

The visa-free entry policy has significantly lowered the threshold for international patients to seek medical treatment. In the past, the approval process for medical visas was long and the materials were complex. Many patients gave up treatment in China due to the cumbersome procedures. Nowadays, the visa-free policy allows foreign tourists to stay in China for 30 to 90 days, which is sufficient to complete the entire process from medical treatment to rehabilitation. Take Boao Lecheng in Hainan as an example. After the policy was implemented, the proportion of international patients rose from 15% to 35%, among which tumor treatment and high-end physical examinations became popular items. In addition, the visa-free policy has also driven up tourism consumption in the surrounding areas. Data shows that the average non-medical expenditure of each medical tourist amounts to 5,000 yuan, covering multiple fields such as hotels, catering, and scenic spot visits.

The three core advantages of shanghai Medical Tourism

Chinese cities have unique competitiveness in developing medical tourism:

Technical advantages: The top-tier hospitals in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have reached international standards in areas such as cancer treatment and cardiovascular surgery, and the costs are only one-third of those in Europe and America.

Service integration: Some hospitals have collaborated with international insurance companies to achieve direct payment settlement and are equipped with multilingual guidance teams.

Cultural and tourism resources: For instance, Chengdu has combined traditional Chinese medicine conditioning with visits to panda bases, and Shanghai has launched a "postoperative rehabilitation + urban sightseeing" package, enhancing the appeal of medical tourism.

Challenges and Breakthroughs of shanghai Medical Tourism: How to Seize Policy Dividends

Despite its broad prospects, medical tourism in China still faces shortcomings such as insufficient language services and a relatively small number of internationally certified hospitals. Efforts need to be made in three aspects in the future:

Strengthen international certifications: Encourage more hospitals to obtain certifications such as JCI to enhance global trust;

Optimize the service chain: From airport pick-up, translation to postoperative follow-up, provide full-process convenient services;

Precise marketing promotion: Customized promotional strategies are tailored to the needs of patients from visa-free countries such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The visa-free entry policy for shanghai Medical Tourism has opened a new window for medical tourism. When convenient entry procedures meet high-level medical services, Chinese cities are expected to become important destinations for global medical tourism. The key lies in seizing policy opportunities, making up for service shortcomings, and making "coming to China for medical treatment + tourism" a new trend for international patients.

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