health travel abc
TRANSCRIPT
Health Travel ABCWebinar on Key Markets
13 January 2021
Health Travel ABC
A health travel manual for Finnish hospitals,
private clinics, medical tourism facilitators and
the hospitality sector
Launched in December 2020
Contractor: Visit Finland
Service Provider: HTI PARTNER
Source: Health Travel ABC
Agenda: Outlook on Key Markets
Key Markets:
Russia
China
UAE
Topics:
• healtht insurance systems
• medical tourist profiles
• treatments & destinations
• professional associations
• attracting patients
• digital marketing & events
• surveys’ results
HTI – Health Tourism Industry
Conference
Exhibition
Buyers
European Summit
Networking
Magazine
Consulting
Since 2011
Part 1: Russia
Health Insurance System in Russia
Russian Medical Tourist Profile
Preferred Treatments & Destinations
Attracting Russian Patients
Digital Marketing & Events in Russia
Survey - Russian buyers (B2B)
Dr Liudmila Andreeva, a medical travel professional from Moscow, and HTI representative for Russia
Health Insurance System in Russia
• State health care system
• Personal medical insurance
SOGAZ, Absolute Insurance, VSK, AlfaStrakhovanie, Alliance Life, VTB Insurance, Ingosstrakh, Renaissance Insurance, RESO-Guarantee, and Rosgosstrakh
• Private clinics and hospitals
ABA-Peter, Medsi Group, European medical center, K+31 Clinic, Alfastrahovaniya Medicine, Branch CDC of Gazprom, SM-Clinic, and Family Doctors
Russian Medical Tourist Profile
1. State-of-the-art technology not available at home
2. Urgent necessity motivated by an inefficient health care system (waiting list, outdated equipment, the legality of procedures)
3. Desire to take better/unique procedures and remain anonymous (plastic surgery)
Five main motivations of Russians traveling to consume medical services:
• Advanced medical procedures/technologies not available at home
• Better quality of mandatory medical services
• Availability (shorter waiting time)
• Low cost of mandatory medical services
• Low cost of variable medical services
Most Wanted Treatments for Russian Patients
The two most sought-after treatments by Russians include:
• Diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases.
• Cardiovascular surgery, e.g. usually coronary bypass surgery.
The types of treatment that are most in-demand among Russians are:
• Comprehensive examinations/screenings (medical check-up)
• Cardiology
• Orthopedics
• Dentistry
• Reproductive health (IVF, fertility); aesthetic surgery and cosmetology (rhinoplasty, changing body-size, liposuction)
Preferred Medical Destinations for Russians
Israel and Germany
Both recognized for offering their services in the Russian language.
New and cost-effective destinations:
• Eastern Europe (Hungary, Czech Republic), Finland, Turkey
• Asian countries (South Korea, India, Malaysia)
Those considering Finland live mainly in the St. Petersburg area, as shown by the recent study conveyed by Visit Finland
Attracting Russian Patients
Attracting Russian patients implies building a destination’s image by offering services and state-of-the-art technology not available in Russia, and speaking the Russian language at medical facilities.
Advertising
Sales promotion
Public relations
Standardization/certification/accreditation
Availability and transparency
Referrals
Set up an international patient office
Tips to consider:
• Advertising is only applicable to well-known medical services.
• The most effective sales promotion is a package offer; less effective are discounts because they would often scare the Russian patient, causing doubts about the doctor’s competencies.
• The image reflects the medical provider’s public perception in society, its contribution to the country's healthcare development, innovative potential, stability, and reliability.
• It is essential to create a strong professional network with Russian medical institutions and Russian and Finnish specialists to get referrals. Do not forget internships and joint conferences.
Digital Marketing in Russia
• Digital marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Yandex controls over 20% of the Russian market (compared to 39% at Google)
• Social networks (Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte, and YouTube)
- Combination of interactivity and the possibility of personalization due to rapid feedback from users
- Joining groups that discuss medical problems and treatment methods
• Medical information portal for patients from Russia following the TripAdvisor principle - interactive platform between consumers from Russia and medical travel services providers from Finland
Health Travel Events in Russia
• Recreation Spa & Health-international expo and conference on medical and health tourism, September, Moscow
• InterMed international exhibition of medical treatment abroad, March, Moscow
• Med Travel Expo, international exhibition “Sanatoriums. Resorts. Medical centers ", December, Moscow
• Treatment abroad exhibition, Moscow MedShow, Autumn/Spring
• Medical tourism Saint-Petersburg, Expoforum Convention and exhibition center, September
Survey – Russian buyers (B2B)
Carried out in July 2020
Sample: 84 qualified B2B buyers (companies) consisting of travel agents, insurers, hospitals, associations, health travel portals
Number of qualified responses: 28
Russia, Q1.
Russia, Q2.
Russia, Q3.
Russia, Q4.
Russia, Q5.
Russia, Q6.
Russia, Q7.
TAKEAWAYS WHEN DOING HEALTH TRAVEL BUSINESS IN RUSSIA
Be present on the market
Offer services in the Russian language
Create a strong professional network with Russian medical institutions, and among Russian and Finnish specialists
Be active on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte, and YouTube, YandexDzen)
Remember about lifestyle
Questions?
Part 2: China
Health Insurance System in China
Chinese Medical Tourist Profile
Preferred Treatments & Destinations
Attracting Patients to China
Key Professional Associations in China
Survey - Chinese Buyers (B2B)
Amy Yan Wang, a medical travel & education professional from Beijing, and HTI representative for China
Health Insurance System in China
Facts149 million tourists
10% of Chinese population
Aug. 2019
Aug. 2020
11,953 21,429
88 1,471
11,865 22,900 34,765
Public PrivateHospitals Hospitals Total
1.3 billion90% of Chinese population
240 million by the end of 2021
Chinese Medical Tourist Profile
Most Wanted Treatments for Chinese Patients
Medical procedure
Preventive health care
Wellness and relax packages
Physical checkup
Cancer related testing, diagnosis and treatment
Preferred Medical Destinations for Chinese
USA: cancer treatment, complicated and rare diseases
Germany: sports medicine
Japan: proton therapy, cancer screening, health check-up
Switzerland: anti-aging
Finland: ?
Other
Attracting Chinese Patients
Accessibility / Marketing
Trust / Friendship
Sustainability / Long-term
Digital Marketing in China
Professional Associations in China
Beijing Business Aviation Association
Chinese Medical Doctor Association
Peking Union Medical College Hospital Training Center
Jiahui Health
Survey – Chinese buyers (B2B)
Carried out in July 2020
Sample: 30 qualified B2B buyers (companies) consisting of travel agents, insurers,
hospitals, associations, health travel portals
Number of qualified responses: 27
China, Q1.
China, Q2.
China, Q3.
China, Q4.
China, Q5.
China, Q6.
China, Q7.
Inquiries
Marketing Activities
Insurance Coverage
Brand Collaboration
Medical Park Alternative
Health Checkup Products
Technology and Hospital Management
TAKEAWAYS WHEN DOING HEALTH TRAVEL BUSINESS IN CHINA
Country brand
Healthcare marketing
Trustworthy partners
Business model
Persistence
Part 2: China
Amy Yan Wang
Medical travel & education professional from
Beijing, and HTI representative for China
WeChat ID: AW1036
Contact Information
Questions?
Part 3: UAE
Health Insurance System in the UAE
UAE Medical Tourist Profile
Preferred Treatments & Destinations
Attracting Patients to the UAE
Digital Marketing & Events in the UAE
Survey - UAE Buyers (B2B)
Sandeep Vohra, a medical travel & investments professional based in the UAE, and HTI representative for the UAE & GCC
Health Insurance System in the UAE
• Comprehensive government funded healthcare
• Fast growing private healthcare system
• Mandatory health insurance for all residents of Abu Dhabi and Dubai
• Over 30 licensed insurers for providing medical health insurance
• Emirates nationals covered by government healthcare while expats by private
medical cover
• Top medical providers like Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and others present in UAE
UAE Medical Tourist Profile
• Two distinct type of traveler• Local Emirati patient funded by state
• HNI citizen or resident traveling on personal expense
• English spoken by most patients or family members• Arabic preferred by a minority
• Patient profile is upper middle to HNI • Personal expenditure is substantial
• Patients travel with at least one family member
• Personal help / assistance is always sorted after (preferred patient domicile)
• Top aspects of consideration - quality, attraction, affordability, accessibility andimage
Age Group of Medical Travelers %
Less than 40 years 31
41-50 Years 27.2
51-60 Years 24.1
61 Years and above 17.7
Most Wanted Treatments for UAE Patients
• The most common medical specialties were:
• Orthopedic surgery (13%)
• Oncology (13%)
• Neurosurgery (10%)
• Other treatments:
• Cosmetic treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Preventive treatments – dental, ophthalmology, genetic and food allergy
Preferred Medical Destinations for UAE Patients
• Over 20,000 patients supported in 2019• Total estimated expense USD 2B
• Preferred countries for treatment – Germany, Thailand, USA, Singapore & India
• Regarding destinations, patients had a lower relative risk ratio of seekinghealthcare in Germany in the winter.
• Endocrinology was the most common specialty sought in the UK.
• Key notable behavior• Travel for more than 30 days - 60%
• Less than 30 days - 37%
• Purpose of travel, medical services - 39%
• Combined with other activities like relaxing holidays (31%), sightseeing/ shopping (25%), business (5%)
Attracting UAE Patients
• To attract UAE patients, you need to:
• Know your customer – is the Emirati or a resident expat
• If the target is a resident expat – you need to know the nationality
• Who the payer is – insurance company, government or individuals themselves.
• Depending on the above, your target could be:
• An Emirati citizen seeking medical treatment
• An Emirati citizen traveling for a holiday and combining preventive or basic diagnostics and treatment
• An expat resident traveling back home for medical treatment
• An expat resident traveling for a holiday and choosing to get a minor surgery or medical treatment
Digital Marketing in the UAE
For an effective digital marketing for targeting the right patients in the UAE is to have a localized website that has a content relevant to UAE
For an effective digital strategy:
• Identify and know which medical traveler you are going to target
• Have a local version of the website that builds trust among treatment-seekers and customers
• Get your website discovered on Google using search engine optimization (SEO)
• Use targeted, appealing, and newsworthy content to educate potential customers
• Use social media to distribute content and connect with leads & customers in real-time
• Have customer referrals speak about the treatment that they received and experience they had
Health Travel Events in the UAE
• Arab Health – Dubai, end-January
• Arabian Travel Market – Dubai, end-April
• International Patient Experience Symposium – Abu Dhabi & Dubai, mid-November
• World Spa and Wellness Convention – Dubai, mid-February
• Expo 2020 (now moved to 2021) will have a series of events for medical tourism –
Dubai, October
• Specific „sales blitz” with local companies for targeting medical travelers
TAKEAWAYS WHEN DOING HEALTH TRAVEL BUSINESS IN THE UAE
Know your customer
It is unlike any other target market
Personal referrals make the most difference
One of the most educated medical traveler
Destination is as important as the services provided
KEY TAKEAWAYS WHEN DOING BUSINESS ON TARGET MARKETS
In Russia, offer services that are not available and offer high-end technology, build your public image and make use of word-of-mouth
In China, offer a strong brand and high-technology, and use social media influencers. Do not forget to cherish your network in China!
In the UAE, offer high quality, and build your attractiveness and good destination image
In general, look out for strategic local partners on target markets, and build up your network
Questions?
