The market place of medical tourism facilitators in South Africa

Abstract

Although there is no single definition for medical tourism, it is generally acknowledged that it refers to travel activity that involves a medical procedure. Cosmetic tourism refers to a subspecialty that is concerned primarily with the enhancement of physical appearance. The concept of combining travel with cosmetic surgery comes as a fresh idea to South Africa and its growing popularity is based on: the low cost of medical procedures in the developing countries, affordable air fares, favourable exchange rates and the internet. A medical tourism facilitator (MTF) acts as a coordinator between medical tourists and medical service providers such as surgeons or clinics and arranges treatment itineraries, lodging and local logistics. Attractive tourist packages ultimately provoke demand for this industry. In South Africa, the number of studies and availability of data on cosmetic tourism remains limited. The role of the MTFs calls for and validates this research within the medical tourism niche market in South Africa. The population included individuals who have made an appointment with a registered plastic surgeon. It was thus impossible to pre-determine the precise number of the population. A qualitative methodology was used to collect data anonymously from 236 voluntary respondents in the surgeon’s waiting rooms after their consent was obtained. Results indicate that cosmetic tourists come from all over South Africa. The majority were female and organised the leisure component themselves. This opens the door for MTFs to investigate possible penetration into this travel market and thus to the expansion of the market.