1. A Study of Potential Medical Tourists: Marketing Recommendations for Cyprus
Dr. Michael Guiry
Senior Fellow
Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR)
University of the Incarnate Word (UIW)
San Antonio, Texas, USA

2. Agenda Describe the CMTR Medical Tourism Model
CMTR Research on Potential U.S. Medical Tourists
Research on European Medical Tourism
Cyprus and the Medical Tourism Continuum
Marketing Recommendations

3. About Us Center for Medical Tourism Research
First and leading academic-based research center in this industry (Medical & Retirement Tourism/Travel)
Non-profit organization
Motivated to spread the word and influence key stakeholders
Key members have years of healthcare and international business experience

4. Model for Understanding the Drivers of Medical Tourism
Globalization
Technology
Medical Tourism
Consumerism

5. Types of Medical Tourism

6. Potential U.S. Medical Tourists

7. PMT Sample Demographics
Avg. Age: (36.7- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Gender: Females 65.47% (50.7%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Education: HS- 12.4% / C- 33.9% / G- 18.8% (HS- 84.5% / C- 27.4% / G- 10.3%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Avg. Household Inc. (Gross): $101,815 Mean/ $50,000 Median and Mode ($52,175- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Race/Ethnicity: B- 8.6% / A- 7.8% / W- 39.7% / H- .3% / Other (Pref. Not)- 43.5% (B- 12.3% / A- 4.4% / W- 74.3% / H- 15.1%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Marital Status: M- 46.9% / NM- 39% (M- 50.2% / NM- 30.8%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)

8. Findings: If Medical Travel- What

9. Findings: Research
Internet was #1 by a wide margin

10. Expectations of Int’l Healthcare Facilities (Top 8 Answers)
Healthcare facility employees are knowledgeable. (Assurance)
Patients feel safe in their interactions with healthcare facility employees. (Assurance)
Healthcare facilities are accurate in their billing. (Reliability)
Healthcare facility employees get adequate support from their employers to do their jobs well. (Assurance)
Healthcare facility employees tell patients exactly when services will be performed. (Responsiveness)
Healthcare facilities provide their services at the time they promise to do so. (Reliability)
Healthcare facilities in other countries have up-to-date equipment. (Tangibles)
Healthcare facilities have their patients' best interests at heart. (Empathy)

11. Medical Tourism as Wish Fulfillment?
The use of medical tourism services will allow me to achieve more:
Freedom to act
Knowledge
Pleasurable life
Comfort in my life
Stimulating and adventurous life

12. Research on European Medical Tourism

13. A Study of Romania Findings of the study (of Europeans):
80% of the foreign tourists have no idea what Romania can offer them
Most were only exposed to negative news about the country.
Conclusions:
They needed to find an element to differentiate Romania’s brand from other countries or
They must invent one.

14. Gallup/Eurobarometer Study of European Cross Border Care (2007)
4% of Europeans received medical treatment in another EU Member State over the past 12 months
Slightly more than half of EU citizens are open to travel to another EU country to seek medical treatment (54%)
The most prominent reason to do so is a hypothesized unavailability of the necessary treatment in the domestic healthcare system

15. Gallup/Eurobarometer Study of European Cross Border Care (2007)
Motivating Factors:
Europeans hope to receive a treatment of better quality (generally, or through a specialist residing elsewhere in Europe)
The promise of quicker access to the necessary treatment
Different perspectives:
Quality is the major drive for health tourism to Western Europe
Lower prices are a major argument to travel for treatment to Central and South Eastern Europe

16. EU Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology Studies (1)
An online survey of over 300 patients last year found that 76% would consider going abroad
The vast majority of those who went (88%) were happy with their treatment

17. Cyprus and the Medical Tourism continuum

18. Cyprus’ Strengths & Weaknesses
Close proximity to over 110 million European Baby Boomers
Increasing perception of quality
Low cost infrastructure (personnel, legal, etc.)
Beautiful tourism destination
Weaknesses
History of turmoil/political issues
Known more for recreational tourism
Lack of a Medical School or specialized institutions focused on health tourism or engaged in health tourism

19. Offer a Continuum of Services

20. Marketing Recommendations
Create and Market a Medical Tourism Brand and Brand Image
Use a Brand Personality framework (Aaker 1997)
5 Dimensions
Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness
Manage Customer Expectations
Avoid service quality gaps, i.e., difference between perceptions and expectations of service quality
Associate the Provision of Medical Tourism Services with Personal Values
Being a medical tourist is more than just a trip abroad for healthcare; for some it is a 'journey' or a 'wish fulfillment' effort 

21. Questions
Thank you!
Contact Dr. David Vequist, Founder and Director of CMTR at
Contact Dr. Michael Guiry at

22. EU Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology Studies (2)
Another study was carried out in six countries during the course of one month –
Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland (1,230 patients)
Greatest numbers were: Italy (31.8%), Germany (14.4%), the Netherlands (12.1%) and France (8.7%)
Most traveled to bypass legal restrictions
34% of those from the UK said they went abroad because of difficulties of access to treatment.
The average age was over 37 but 63.5% of the British patients were over 40

23. Medical Tourism Country Investments (Potential)
Investments in High Tech and Commercial Research (e.g., Pharma, Energy, etc.)
Higher
Higher
Higher
Investments in HC & Medical/Retirement Tourism
Investments in Technology Manufacturing/ High-end Consumer/Commercial Products
Intensity of the Regulatory Changes Required
Investments in Service Outsourcing
Intensity of the Current Competitive Environment
ROI
Investments in Basic Tourism Activities
Investments in Low-end Consumer/Commercial Products
Lower
Lower
Lower
Estimates based on the CMTR

24. Cyprus: ROI and Investments
ROI described:
Job growth (great jobs too!)
Brings opportunities for new direct (and indirect) revenue streams
Fills a community need
Ask yourselves, based on the economic and environmental factors- “Will there be a time in the next years when great healthcare will not be in demand?”

25. Recommendations All- Government- Education- Private Industry-
Prepare to create and market a medical tourism brand!
Government-
Create a good business environment!
Tax incentives, tax holidays, prioritize infrastructure and regulatory improvements
Education-
Get universities involved!
Private Industry-
Prioritize investments in this area and invest!
Healthcare facilities and particularly retirement tourism-aligned developments

26. Don’t Believe Me? IFC is: the private sector arm of the World Bank
invests in private sector projects in developing countries
world’s largest multilateral investor in the private health sector