Medical tourism is defined as the process of patients travelling abroad for medical care and procedures, usually because certain medical procedures are less available or less affordable in their own country. As a result, countries have increasingly investigated the potential economic benefits and public health costs of medical tourism.

In 2010, visitors for medical reasons (around 12,800 people) comprised only 0.23% of total visitors in Australia – around 5.5 million people. However, the number of medical visitors appears to be growing at a much faster rate compared to the total number of visitors. Between 2005 and 2010, the average annual growth rate of medical tourists was estimated to be around 14% compared to 2% for all tourists in the same period.

Deloitte Access Economics was commissioned by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET) to conduct a scoping study on Australia’s viability as a medical tourism destination.

Published: December 2011