Middle East Medical Tourism magazine - Tunisia"
Samah Ben Abdallah
Since the 18th century and the
Industrial Revolution, a new dawn has broken, bringing with it different
concepts of tourism. Previously, tourism was limited to travel by air, sea, or
land from one country to another for pleasure and cultural exploration. Since
then, tourism has become a major industry in the economies of most countries,
diversifying into various types such as leisure tourism, exploration tourism,
medical and wellness tourism, ecotourism, leisure tourism, individual tourism,
and other newly developed concepts.
Tunisia is known as a
Mediterranean tourist destination, possessing natural advantages and human
resources that have enabled it to achieve a prominent position. However, the
figures remain uneven in the medical and wellness tourism sector, as this field
has not yet been regulated or its concepts defined. Medical tourism revenues in
Tunisia are estimated at around 400 million euros annually. Representing 45% of
the tourism sector's overall revenue, this is a very high percentage
considering the limited promotion of this important sector.
Medical and Wellness Tourism
Medical tourism in Tunisia
relies on the world-class standards of Tunisian medical professionals, the
advanced infrastructure of private hospitals, and Tunisia's unique geographical
location, bridging Europe and Africa. Tunisia also boasts a large number of
thalassotherapy and thermal spa centers, utilizing its hot springs. Tunisia
possesses abundant groundwater resources, distributed across more than 60
thalassotherapy centers and 144 underground springs.
This has placed it second
globally, after France, in the field of wellness tourism.
Why hasn't Tunisia caught up
with its competitors, such as Malaysia and Turkey? Tunisia's lagging behind,
ranking 26th out of 70 countries specializing in medical tourism, stems from a
miscalculation by the relevant authorities regarding the importance of an
industry that could have become a significant source of foreign currency for
the Tunisian state, especially given that Tunisia Tunisia possesses the key
factors that position it among the top ten countries in the sector, such as its
strategic geographic location as a transit point between Africa and Europe, its
Mediterranean climate, the availability of highly qualified medical
professionals across various specialties, and its state-of-the-art medical
infrastructure equipped with the latest technologies.
Undoubtedly, the launch of the
Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Export of Health Services (ANPEIS),
under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, that going to focus on
promoting Tunisia's medical tourism sector, facilitating transactions with Arab
and foreign countries, opening new markets, and organizing patient arrivals to
healthcare facilities, hospitals, and tourist destinations. This will
contribute to accelerating the development of medical tourism in Tunisia and
support the efforts of the private sector, which has thus far borne the sole
responsibility for these tasks.
In this approach, Tunisia is
following the example of Malaysia, where the Malaysian Medical Travel Council
(MHTC), established in 2005 as a medical tourism office within the Ministry of
Health, quickly became an official entity. In 2009, with the aim of
facilitating and promoting the health tourism industry, Malaysia coordinated
cooperation in the field and built valuable partnerships between the public and
private sectors, both domestically and internationally. This was particularly
important given Malaysia's status as a leading medical tourism destination in
Southeast Asia and its ranking as the sixth most popular globally.
Similarly, the Turkish Health
Tourism Council (THTC), established in 2005, is one of the most important
international councils, with 144 offices spread across 85 countries. Turkey
ranks fifth globally and is the most sought-after destination for European
tourists.
There are several important
and strategic points that the medical tourism sector in Tunisia should consider
to overcome the current challenges that have contributed to its decline
internationally. Among the most important are regulating operations within a
legal framework to ensure the smooth exchange of services and investments in
healthcare between countries, as well as facilitating air travel and
establishing agreements with partner countries to activate direct flights
