According to the latest figures, inbound medical tourism is growing in Argentina with the main bulk of medical tourists arriving from Latin American countries.
According to Miguel Cané of the Argentine Chamber of Medical Tourism, medical tourism to Argentina is growing.
In 2016, according to data of the Chamber, Argentina welcomed 14 000 foreign medical tourists who spent 300 million dollars on medical services and tourist activities. But these figures are for international patients so include expats living and working in Argentina.
The most common treatments are curative medicine (48%), cosmetic surgery (34%), and wellness treatment (18%). The most requested medical practices were – traumatology, cardiology, liposuction, bariatric surgery, dentistry / ophthalmology, breast implants, abdominoplasty, weight management / medical check-ups, and transplants.
Of the most frequently visited medical tourism destinations, 37% are located in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, 19% are situated in the province of Buenos Aires, 15% in Córdoba, 10% in Mendoza, 7% in Santa Fe; the combined total for the rest of the provinces represents 12% of total visits.
47% of the patients are Latin American, 24% are from the USA and Canada, 22% are European, and the remaining 7% are from other countries. Most of the Latin American patients are from Uruguay, Bolivia and Paraguay.
According to the Chamber of Medical Tourism, the obstacles to further growth are the exchange rate and taxes; “The exemption of VAT for the accommodation expenses of foreign tourists is moving ahead, but it is necessary for us to revise tax charges and for our exports of professional medical services to become like all other VAT exempted exports.”
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