Spain has long been a favorite tourist destination for Europeans, but has not really promoted the country’s attraction for medical and health tourists. That is about to change with a concerted advertising and marketing campaign, plus a new project.
Spain has long been a favorite tourist destination for Europeans, but has not really promoted the country’s attraction for medical and health tourists. That is about to change with a concerted advertising and marketing campaign, plus a new project.
British and Russian health and medical tourists will be the main target of the ‘Tourism & Health Spain’ campaign on the Costa del Sol. 30 private health clinics and hotel resorts in the area have joined forces to attract potential foreign tourists who would like to go to Malaga for health or medical reasons. The project was officially launched during the Fitur international tourism trade show, held in Madrid from January 30 to February 3.
Tourism & Health Spain is headed by the president of the Malaga Association of Private Clinics and owner of Malaga’s Chip Hospital, Jesus Burgos. The target profile is a middle-to-upper or upper class patient that may spend around €10,000 per year on health services alone. Malaga province’s private clinics estimate they could receive an annual overall turnover of €250-300 million from health and medical care alone. Added to that, there is the additional amount spent on leisure, food and accommodation by the patients and their families. Both the individual spend, and the total revenue, appear very optimistic in the current European economy; and finding many British people who spend €10,000 per year on health is a tough if not impossible task.
Malaga province’s private health offer includes 4,500 beds in hospitals and clinics, says the Malaga Association of Private Clinics. With drastic cuts in Spanish healthcare spend, and a huge drop in money available to spend on healthcare of the average Spaniard, this sudden enthusiasm for health tourism may include a hint of desperation for some private clinics who may see their very future at risk.
Project Illum is a concept to take over an abandoned hotel and spa development in Jafre, Spain and turn it into a wellness centre. Launched on Indiegogo, a popular crowd funding platform, the project seeks individual investors to save a 1500-acre site. The project aims to attract resources, skills and engage with potential contributors and partners through the Indiegogo campaign. It is supporting the small community of the 452 inhabitants of Jafre to secure the land and ancient spring to redevelop it in harmony with the local people and nature. The project intends to raise $650,000 primarily via public contributions on Indiegogo, to secure the land and current development (already 60% complete), assets and structures.
Illum will be a wellness and healing centre with thermal baths utilising the water from the ancient natural healing spring will a meditation pavilion and surrounding gardens. The project will complete the construction of a 97 suite residential facility with gym, spa and other related health and wellness facilities in 2015. Stan Colders, founder of Project Illum says, ”It is a big project, but the reward of putting Jafre back on the map as a healing centre and what that would do for the villagers. Colders lives in the UK and sees the project as mainly targeting British visitors.
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