Refresh your sources of medical travellers

A new handbook suggests that successful marketing in the COVID-19 environment requires going back to basics, including reviewing the sources of customers.

The interruption in the global flow of travelling consumers provides an opportunity for medical travel organisations and destinations to reconsider their marketing. In particular, it is a chance to reframe, research and redesign the key offer, message and, most importantly, the customer experience.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for marketing success however, and the new Marketing Handbook for Health Tourism written by Irving Stackpole and Laszlo Puczko recognises that during this pandemic, marketing health tourism is especially difficult.  Questions such as ‘How will these markets recover?’, ‘Which segments will return first?’, and ‘How will consumer behaviour be changed?’ remain unanswered.

Planning for health tourism

The handbook recommends, as part of the review, giving careful thought to existing travellers to a destination who are arriving for leisure, recreation, business or family visits. These potential travellers will already be familiar to the area and could be more predisposed to consider additional services including wellness, health, and medical care.

It suggests asking the following questions, to better understand the sources of future customers:

1. From which source locations do arriving visitors come from now? What are the reasons that these visitors come to your location? What are the demographics of these travellers (age, income, ethnicity, etc.)?
2. Describe the key medical and/or wellness providers in your location.
3. Do these providers offer services and treatments targeting domestic/international tourists? If so, what are the messages used to attract these visitors?
4. Look at customer review websites to see what customers say about the service providers at your destination. Do they match what the official statements by the service providers say? Are there discrepancies?
5. During the pandemic travel disruptions, what source locations allowed access to your destination? What are you doing to motivate customers at these source locations?

The Barbados Fertility Centre is identified as an excellent example of a health organisation with a clear audience focus, whose clientele has evolved to encompass clients across the Caribbean, the US and, uniquely, the UK.  The clinic focused on the benefits of being a Commonwealth country to target a UK audience with messages emphasising their fertility results, which are often better than similar clinics in the UK.

Broadening segments and sources of health travellers

The handbook also suggests there may be other audiences who could be targeted with information and messages about a destination and the healthcare offer.

It gives examples of Turkey and South Korea, where simple healthcare packages are offered to cruise passengers.  These travellers often have free time, and may be motivated by accessible and affordably priced dental and health check-ups, as well as simple spa treatments.

The guide recommends that travel disruptions during the pandemic offer opportunities to consider alternate sources of health travellers, especially those who are geographically closer.  Organisations could, for example, assess nearby locations that have good travel connections with their destination for potential new market segments of consumers.

A practical handbook to review marketing strategy

The handbook contains a balance of marketing theory, cases studies, examples, and exercises.  In addition to reviewing sources and profiles of potential medical and health travellers, it covers other marketing essentials including offer, brand, message, customer experience, pricing, market research, and digital marketing.

Co-author Irving Stackpole, President of Stackpole & Associates, says, “Deciding to publish the handbook during the pandemic makes sense for several reasons. The impact of COVID-19 has changed health travel and providers have the opportunity to reposition their marketing efforts in line with changed consumer expectations. Crisis communication skills continue to be vital as we face surges then relaxing of restrictions especially on travel”.

Fellow author Laszlo Puczko, CEO and Co-Founder of Health Tourism Worldwide adds, “With the pandemic, people are much more focused on wellness and health services but the demand is low because of the restrictions. Once vaccines are distributed and the borders reopen, there will be a rush to travel. Health travel providers should plan their marketing strategies and tactics now. Our Handbook will help them prepare”.

In his review of the handbook, IMTJ Editor in Chief, Keith Pollard, stated, “the handbook provides a solid foundation for new entrants to the health tourism market and a worthwhile sanity check for all those already involved who want to get back to basics and review their marketing strategy”.