The pandemic was a global crisis for organisations operating in medical travel. Emerging successful from such events, suggests Ian Youngman, is down to how companies and destinations manage these problems, plus their ability to turn a crisis into an opportunity.
Every decade there is a crisis that companies and organisations globally have to react to. We have doubled down in Europe with both a pandemic and an open war.
For many years after the global credit crunch in 2008 and following recession, company executives managed to blame any problem on the crash. That the real problems were in failures of management, and poor customer service, marketing, use of technology, product quality, or too high prices, or any combination of these, did not matter.
In the medical travel sector before this pandemic crisis, there were countries where medical tourism numbers were falling, quality and service was low (in some cases, leading to deaths from avoidable complications), and technology was limited. Spin and promotion were high.
It is likely then that when businesses, cities, regions or countries seek to explain why their medical tourism numbers and revenue fail to meet expectations over next five years, executives will blame the pandemic, the war, and possibly climate change too.
Operating in a hard market
When times get tough is when the true mettle of a business shines through. Anybody can make money in a soft market where people are willing to pay high prices for anything. But to make money in a hard market where customers have choice, suppliers and partners have choice, and all three have power, is far tougher.
For those operating in the medical travel sector, 2022 and beyond will expose the good and the bad. The good were already constantly evolving, keeping up with tech and consumer choice, well before these recent crises. The bad are likely to focus on short-term business by cutting prices or making promises they cannot keep.
Some countries will wait in vain for customers to come, laying the blame on the pandemic and Russia. Other destinations, like Malta, have made the choice that they’ll see more business and provide longer-term help for their citizens and economy, by ignoring medical tourism to focus on health/ wellness/spa tourism.
Malaysia and India still realistically see potential in medical travel, while other places like the Dominican Republic still have the dream.
Time for an integrated strategy
The medical travel sector is not, and will not, revert to how it was in 2019. To succeed in future, medical tourism destinations will need an integrated strategy supported by all industry sectors.
They will need niche and target marketing with varied campaigns, supported by clever use of picture-driven social media. Communication strategies needs to cover care, marketing, customer support before and after treatment – and much more.
Some destinations, like Thailand, are actively looking at new countries and regions as target markets.
Another increased trend is taking the healthcare, either physical or skills, to the customer rather than expecting the customer to come to you. Look at AMC, South Korea’s largest hospital now setting up in the Middle East; and the US Cleveland Clinic, who’ve just opened the doors to what it claims to be the first full service private hospital in London, UK for more than 20 years.
Thinking creatively: anyone for gin?
Medical tourism successes will come from thinking outside of the box using the latest tech and media, plus changing how the business works to fit.
Take an example from gin. In the pandemic the global gin industry was hit badly as places they sold to closed down. Cleverer gin producers used their equipment to make sanitiser for consumers and healthcare professionals. The result? Companies which adapted are alive and well and ready to sell gin again.
Seeing opportunity in a crisis
In many ways, the crises of the pandemic and war are both irrelevant. Company and country success will be down to how these problems are managed and being able to turn a crisis into an opportunity.
2022 will no doubt be a tough year for medical travel, but if organisations chase profitable customers rather than numbers, offer service that makes people return and tell their friends about how good the experience was, and exceed customer expectations, then business will prosper long-term.
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