Romania medical and health tourism growing

June 05 01:00 2014 by ushadmin

Romania is promoting health tourism, while medical tourism is bringing a much-needed boost to the economy.

The Spa Tourism Employers Association (OPTBR), backed by the National Tourism Association (ANT), has in partnership with the National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics and the Ana Aslan Foundation a pilot programme to promote health treatment and to revitalize the famous Romanian brand Ana Aslan. The Romanian Medical Tourism Association (ARTM) and is another partner promoting the project.

The aim is to repromote the power of the Ana Aslan brand, which concentrates on spa treatment for older customers. Part of the pilot is finding ways to use modern phrases rather than off putting promotion terms such as geriatric treatment. This is aimed not just at foreign tourists, but at the large internal Romanian spa tourism market that is expected to grow as the economy recovers.

The pilot has two programmes ‘Live Young’ and ‘Relaxation. Rebalancing. Revitalization’ at the O3Zone Hotel, in the Central Romanian resort of Baile Tusnad resort. Customers will have free access to the swimming pool, jacuzzi, dry and wet sauna and to the gym at the spa centre. Ana Aslan therapy includes preventive or curative treatment with products personalized to the patient. Treatment is or a wide range of problems associated with the degenerative process specific to women: rheumatism, peripheral circulatory disorders, depression, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.

On medical tourism, Dragos Raducan of the Federation of Employers from Romanian Tourism (FPTR) explains,” There are no official statistics, but from local medical tourism sources we estimate that 2013 saw over 20,000 medical tourists in Romania.” This is mostly for cosmetic surgery and dental treatment, with some medical treatment. The association estimates that they spend over EUR 60 million on health services, accommodation and food.

According to the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT), a medical tourist spends, on average, between EUR 1500 and EUR 2000 for treatment plus EUR 1500 on accommodation and food. Most come from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Israel and are aged between 40 and 60, according to ANAT. – See more at: http://www.imtj.com/news/?entryid82=442507#sthash.Z8zY6fas.dpuf