Vietnam's Healthcare Tourism Needing Cooperation in Tour Organisation

Tourism in combination with healthcare services is becoming a new trend in Asia. In China, tourism companies are advertising their unique traditional medicines, and tourism healthcare has become an integral part of foreign visitors’ tours. Singapore has set up healthcare tourism promotion centres in various countries to introduce their leading hospitals treating cancers, infertility and spa by hospital-hotel models. In Vietnam, although healthcare tourism has not fully taken shape, the number of overseas Vietnamese and international visitors coming to Vietnam for beauty services has been on the rise in recent years because the quality and techniques of Vietnam are second to none, but the cost is much lower. However, large scale advertisement of Vietnamese healthcare tourism’s strengths, and cooperation with travel tours, are not yet major concerns of tourism companies. Several tourist groups have registered to have medical treatments during tours in Vietnam but the number is small. While Vietnamese tourism does not pay due attention to this potential market, Singapore has already set up healthcare tourism offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to introduce tourism in combination with disease treatments in Singapore to people in Vietnam. In central Da Lat City, two healthcare tourism resorts are being built, namely Japan’s 5,000-ha Dankia - Suoi Vang Resort costing US$1.2 billion, and South Korea’s resort in Dinh 1 Bao Dai region. Both are designed for relaxation and for the elderly.

 

At present, several healthcare tourism locations are attracting tourists. In Nha Trang City, the 21^st Century Morning Star Company has invested in developing Thap Ba hot mineral spring resort to exploit the benefits of mineral water and mineral mud. Currently, this resort attracts domestic and foreign visitors. Soaking in hot mineral water and mineral mud has attracted tourists because this is an effective too for health recovery and relaxation. Mineral water and mud are proven to have many positive effects such as complexion beautification, and decreasing rheumatism, high blood pressure and heart rhythm disorders. Visitors can choose a suitable remedy from collective to individual, private or VIP services for their bathing. In Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the Binh Chau hot spring tourist site has been developed to combine convalescence and healthcare services with recreation services based on the hot springs.

 

In recent time, Professor Nguyen Tai Thu, a world-famous acupuncturist, has cooperated with traditional medicine experts and tourism companies to organise tours combining convalescence, medicinal bathing and acupuncture. The tourists were brought to the National Institute of Acupuncture on Thai Thinh Street, Hanoi to have a comprehensive health check. Then, they were soaked in medicinal water, steamed and massaged. After that, they were given a bowl of medicinal soup. Visitors could also soak themselves in wooden basins containing medicinal herbs.

 

Besides, the healthcare system of Vietnam has been considerably upgraded in size and at all levels, from general hospitals like Trieu An and France-Vietnam Hospital to specialised ones like Saigon International Obstetrics Hospital and Central Ophthalmology Hospital. Many high-quality dental clinics have been opened such as Dentistry 2000 or Van Hanh. Many clinics also employ foreign doctors.

 

Grasping the increasing demand of international visitors for healthcare tourism, several companies have begun studying and exploring healthcare and recovery units at various locations, to send tourists for treatment of diseases, and for health recovery. According to Ms Le Ngoc Thanh, General Director of OSC First Holiday Tourism Co. specialising in serving foreign tourists, the company has recently received many international tourist groups registered to visit the National Institute of Acupuncture, the Hospital of Traditional Medicine, etc. or to stay in healthcare resorts for relaxation and health recovery.

 

Nguyen Hoang, Director of 21^st Century Morning Star Company, said “Thap Ba hot springs resort is always full of customers, principally thanks to cooperation from travel companies which introduced the site as a place of interest in Nha Trang City. We have been continuing to build this resort into a “specialty” and a trademark of Nha Trang City tourism, Khanh Hoa Province and all of Vietnam in the larger strategy. From market feedback, we will improve the effectiveness of hot mineral water and mud bathing on health recovery and disease treatment to attract more visitors. We will cooperate with travel companies to step up advertising and the worldwide introduction of Vietnamese healthcare tourism.”