Cluster for health tourism Bulgaria

Cluster for Health Tourism – Bulgaria Bulgarian Organization was founded in 2011 in order to organise a number of excellent professionals to join the team providing medical, dental and esthetic services for patients outside the borders of Bulgaria.

Our cluster include 12 dental clinics, with the best dentists in our country in Sofia,Plovdiv,Varna,Burgas and Stara Zagora,tour operator,big insurance company and bank. Our mission is to attract patients from abroad and provide them with medical,dental and esthetic care of their desire.

We are committed to help our clients become healthier, smarter and happier and at the same time have lifelong pleasant memories of their stay in Bulgaria.

And what is also most important: this opportunity helps patients to save a considerable amount of money as the prices of our services are much lower than those of the same interventions in many other countries.

All interventions are provided in 100% safe medical or esthetic settings, where clients can enjoy the benefits of latest available technology and highly professional staff. Most of our clinics have certificate ISO 9001/2008.

In addition to treatment we organize stay, accommodation and leisure programs of choice. Beautiful scenery, the atmosphere and hospitality of Bulgaria will surely have a positive effect on the health and recovery of patients.

Quality is the major driver of medical tourism in Europe, low prices are major strength of CEE/SEE, Asia, South America Why do people travel for medical treatments? Lacking skills for treatment possibilities in the homeland (91%) higher quality of treatment (78%) treatment by a well-known specialist (69%) reduced waiting period (64%) 48% due to a more favorable treatment price Eurobarometer (Gallup Institute, 2007) 8 Price-Level = Major Chance for Asia, Eastern Europe, South America

Euro Health Consumer Index 2009 Health Consumer Powerhouse 9

Legislative framework in the EU will foster cross-border health care within European borders 1% of the EU- healthmarket = ~ 10 bln Euro Development of a guideline Free choice of place of treatment within the EU Simplified reimbursement High potential in countries with an undeveloped healthcare infrastructure 10

SEE Health & Medical Tourism Incoming-Potential to SEE High Potential Low Potential Mid Potential 11

Major Source Markets Dental Tourism: UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia (major all EU countries) Medical Tourism USA,Russia, UK, Ireland, Scandinavia 12

Bulgaria in dental tourism

SWOT Analysis of Bulgaria’s Health Tourism Opportunities Development of a strategy and action plan for health tourism development Creating opportunities for a multifunctional all year usage of the resort areas with a complex usage of their resources Preservation and Protection of the natural resources Professionalization of Marketing & Sales Improving the mechanisms for collaboration between the institutions having competence in the field of health tourism Functional cluster building Development of health tourism packages Threats Proximity to other competing markets such as Turkey Proximity of Hungary, which is a major competitor, to source markets such as Germany and Austria Lack of cooperation between insurance companies and health insurance fund Lack of cooperation between the health sector and the tourism sector Outdated medical equipment in lots of cases 14

The medical tourism destination is an interdisciplinary cluster and requires a management body Uni- versity Hotel Hospital Organi- sation Certifier Rehabilitation Patient- mediator Insur ance Retail Patient service / interpreter Surgery Medical Center Gym health destination of the future Tourist feature AIRPORT Cluster- management + DMO Public authorities Outpost IT-Platforms 15

Destination Management Development of a masterplan for the destination 5 Sustainable health & medical tourism destination development Realisation of cooperations in the destination Development of products and new attractions Professional strategic and operative tourism marketing Development of a professional tourism organisation Quality management and quality improvement-program 16

Deductions for Bulgarian Health Destinations & Facilities 17 Development Program Destination Level Development Program Company Level Contract Med. Facilities – International Patient Mediators Systematic Cross-Border Health Care / Insurance Contracts Cluster-Initiatives / PPP-Networks / Brand Bulgarian Health & Medical Tourism Market Governmental Support / High Diplomacy

Strategic Positioning of Bulgaria as a health tourism destination (Golden Triangle) Low price strategy – but not only low price! „Quality on time at reasonable prices“ Health is a matter of trust - medical quality is a must Combination of good quality with a time minimization strategy at reasonable low prices needed 18 Price Quality Time

Health tourism “Life is always a trip!”