The Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (President: Lim Byeong-Soo) held an event in the United States together with Daniel Hospital to introduce participants to medical tourism in Korea.

On August 7, 150 guests, including medical professionals and Korean Americans interested in coming to Korea for medical services, joined the event, which was held at Oxford Palace Hotel in Los Angeles, California. At the event, some of the medical centers located in Gyeonggi Province, including Daniel Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, made presentations about their operations and the medical services they provide. These hospitals will be signing MOUs with major hospitals in Los Angeles during this visit.

Through this event in Los Angeles, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, and the hospitals involved will introduce tourism products by establishing marketing strategies to secure new markets. These include proposing some new-concept tourism products, such as one for Korean Americans which enables them to visit their home country, receive medical services, learn history and culture, and enjoy tourism, and another package that provides to Americans with the opportunity to receive low-cost, high quality medical service and enjoy tourism at the same time.

Moreover, with the signing of an MOU between Daniel Hospital and St. Vincent Medical Center, patients who return home to the US after receiving medical service at Daniel Hospital can continue their treatment at St. Vincent Medical Center. Through this exchange and cooperation program between hospitals in different countries, a high level of customer satisfaction and effective treatment is now possible for those participating in medical tourism.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization are focusing their efforts to commercialize medical tourism products, through such means as by identifying tour packages in which people can receive medical services at a leading hospital and visit tourist attractions in Gyeonggi Province – schemes that simultaneously balance medical service, tourism, and home country visits.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization have continued their efforts to promote and vitalize medical tourism all over the world. These efforts are beginning to bear fruit. As a result of a presentation on medical tourism held in Kazakhstan in July, about 20 local medical staff visited Gyeonggi Province to study its medical facilities/services, visit major tourist attractions, and more.

Gyeonggi Tourism Organization President Lim Byeong-Soo commented, “To vitalize medical tourism, which is a high value-added industry and a next-generation growth engine, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization will focus on establishing a body to promote medical tourism cooperation that is joined by hospitals in the Province; developing tourism programs that link outstanding medical centers and major tourist attractions; holding medical tourism presentations in major overseas markets, and other approaches to establish the service system and support marketing activities of related hospitals and companies.”