How Tourism Officials View Medical Tourism Destination Development Opportunities

Many tourism board representatives I speak with claim that the subject of Medical Tourism for their destination is a "curiosity" at best, but not currently actionable. But when I speak with them for 5 minutes and start to share some of my observations about their area in specific terms, their attitude changes right before my eyes.

I am an expert on destination development for health and wellness tourism. The wall plaques, internationally published books and portfolio of past projects proves this more than I can claim all by myself.

When people listen to me from tourism and economic development authorities they don't hear someone trying to sell them a conference or event sponsorship, or someone asking them for cash or a consulting contract. In fact, I don't try to be the saleslady at the dress shop that says "Oh, dear, that dress looks just lovely on you" when it makes me look like I have turkey butt. If you want those things, I have the number for that consulting firm. Here. I'll even dial it for you. Or would you like me to send them an email on your behalf.

The tourism authority for a potential medical tourism destination usually publishes a mission statement. It usually reads as follows:

The Board shall endeavor to:

1. enhance the visitor experience
2. increase overnight visitation of leisure, business and other group travelers to [destination] with particular attention given to less than peak months
3. pursue growth and economic development and tax receipts through annual advertising and promotional programs to attract visitors
4. fulfill visitor inquiries for information
5. provide services for leisure, meeting and group travelers during their stays
6. stimulate local event development through consultation, promotional support and financial assistance
7. strengthen local tourism industry with programs to educate, inform and cooperatively market [destination]
8. inform local citizens as to the value and importance of tourism by supplying unbiased information about how tourism reduces household tax burdens, and
9. reinvest in the community with projects and services needed due to the impact of tourism.

The reason it says nothing about XYZ hospital or clinic is because its fiduciary duty is to the community at large and the taxpayers; not your clinic or hospital.

Many times throughout the day, I am contacted via phone or email by a clinic asking me to help them "get into medical tourism or dental tourism". Most have no intention to pay my consulting fees to accept an assignment or commission for a project. They mistake me for a not-for-profit association when they should be contacting their tourism authority for that first call. The best tourism authorities conduct periodic research that drives marketing and market penetration strategy to deliver return on investment of tourism tax dollars.

When I get involved in medical tourism destination development, before the caller or email sender and I speak, I spend 10-15 minutes to research the place and see if place-making strategies implemented effectively have a chance of success to turn it into a medical tourism destination. I don't come with the attitude that any place can or should be a medical tourism destination. And I don't come with the attitude that I'll take any assignment that pays me. Because I don't and I never will. That means I am not selling consulting services at every turn. Again, I have the phone numbers of those that do, I can email you the list if you like. They'll take your cash even if there's not a snowball's chance in hell that you'll be successful.

Tourism officials in a county, state or national office care about ethical development, avoiding overtourism and overcrowding and increasing visitation and visitor spend - especially in the off-season. If that's possible, they are interested.

The average medical tourism visitors stay longer than transient visitors to hotels, spend money on food, prescriptions, cultural and historic activities, sightseeing, tours, and more. But their biggest ticket expenditure is not admissions to a Broadway show. It is thousands of dollars on a medical procedure! If your business pays taxes, they are interested in learning more. If your hospital or clinic doesn't pay taxes on all that inbound cash, you must figure out how to express your value proposition to the local community to earn and sustain their interest and support. Otherwise, they may simply be too polite to tell you they don't really care that you want to do that. And if they don't see your particular suitability to be the attractant in the program, (due to lack of brand, lack of capacity and capability, lack of reputation, inadequacy to pay your share of the marketing and development) they may also say nothing but never engage.

Another concern by the tourism and economic development authority may be the scale at which you wish to begin. Prove your concept with results first on a small scale. Then grow larger. Then they'll commit more support. You may feel exuberant and want to put your town and your specialists on the map for a certain specialty or procedure. But if you try to do it all at once, you will dissipate your results to the point you don't know what really caused or contributed to your success and your growth will be difficult to scale because of it. Instead, focus. Avoid overwhelm and confusion with a very specific roadmap that highlights what you expect from the tourism and economic development authorities and other partners and the mileposts where you expect their contributions and support. Otherwise you come off as a dreamer.

Now, in fairness, every dreamer dreams and many entrepreneurs have vision and dreams - but then they wake up and do what's necessary to turn the dream into a reality. If you don't do that, and map out that success path, they won't want to wake you from your peaceful slumber. Convince them that your pathway is well-thought out, feasible with their support, (not their full underwriting, mind you) and show them the research on similar places that tried and succeeded and those that tried and failed and what you believe is the post-mortem lesson to be avoided or done differently.

Many health tourism startups don't know what they don't know

Simply dreaming about a medical tourism start and doing it are very different in terms of infrastructure. Many health tourism startups don't know what they don't know. As a result, they dream bigger than they should and budget much less than what's required to earn their first revenue and even longer to hit break even and profit margins. Yes, you'll all make mistakes. Some will start with silly certifications that are truly unrecognized and meaningless to consumers. Others will aim for visitation from the 7 continents of the earth. And if Virgin Galactic pans out, hey, you never know what could come next!

Answer these questions so you can integrate the articulated answers in your talking points

1. Why should someone elect to leave their home, their community, their families, their pets, to come where you are for care? What do you offer that they cannot obtain elsewhere?
2. From where will they be likely to originate? Why?
3. What else will they do while there unrelated to their medical services?
4. What procedures/ services, and medications will they purchase? Why those and not others?
5. What will be their condition in the context of fine dining, sightseeing, climbing aboard tour buses, climbing steps, swimming and bathing, sports, hiking and cycling, nature activities, water sports, attendance at special events, conducting other business, shopping, etc.?
6. How long will they be likely to stay and in what kind of accommodation? Will they require the assistance of a home health service provider? Will they require grocery, prescriptions or fully-prepared meal delivery services?
7. How will they move about the community in terms of ground transfers? Uber, Lyft, Taxi, Hired Care and Driver, Car Rental?
8. Will your medical travelers be overnighters or day-trippers?
9. How much do you estimate they will spend for all things other than flights/driving, and medical expenditures?
10. What will be the average tax revenue from all sources for the visitor's stay?

Recently, I took over the business development for an outpatient surgery center for their medical tourism. These are my first self-imposed assignments to quantify and assemble into a fact-sheet before I make an appointment with the mayor and the local officials to ask for their support. To get their support to help develop the destination as a health tourism destination, I need these data in hand. It has nothing to do with the pricing or the accreditation of the center, and little to do with its specialists or technologies. I must arrive with data in hand, not a handshake and a promise to get back to them. I will be lucky to get 10 minutes of their time to make my case.

Where's yours? Are you ready to appeal to the local tourism officials for their buy in and support? There's your list. You don't need a consultant to help you with that. That's all D-I-Y.

If you want my help, send me your preparatory research and show me that your homework is complete.