Few leading medical tourism destinations are yet available to Chinese customers. New opportunities exist for over 20 countries who can now welcome Chinese medical tourists without the need for quarantine on arrival. But they will need to act quickly, ensure translators are available, offer full door-to-door service, plus high quality healthcare.
The majority of Chinese outbound patients in 2019 went to Asia, mostly South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia. The USA, Japan, Germany, the UK and Singapore are also destinations of choice for Chinese patients requiring treatment of life-threatening diseases such as neurological and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Chinese medical travellers also go to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, although there is an argument that this could be defined as domestic medical tourism within Greater China.
Chinese travellers can now visit Macau without the need for a quarantine on return or arrival, if they are citizens of neighbouring Guangdong province; and this will apply from September 23 for all Mainland Chinese.
Even countries that allow Chinese visitors require intensive testing in advance and in airports, plus travel health insurance and other restrictions.
Countries that allow Chinese visitors to enter without the need to go into quarantine on arrival are (as of August 17):
- Albania
- Bermuda
- Brazil
- Cyprus
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- French Polynesia
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Maldives
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Nepal
- Northern Macedonia
- Rwanda
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- St. Maarten,
- St. Vincent
- Tanzania,
- Turkey
- UAE
Of the above list only Turkey and the UAE (including Dubai) are existing serious markets for Chinese medical and health tourists.
Malaysia has opened to some medical tourists but not yet from China, and it requires quarantine in hospitals. The USA will remain a no-go destination until 2021.
Thailand is open to non-Thai nationals in need of medical treatment in Thailand, and their attendants. But this does need a 14-day quarantine.
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