New advantages from medical tourism.

With the largest land area in the country, Lam Dong province possesses a diverse and unique tourism ecosystem, a distinctive combination of "a land of a thousand flowers, a blue sea, and vast forests." This advantage offers great potential for the development of tourism, resorts, and healthcare, including medical tourism.

Tien Thanh Beach (Tien Thanh Ward) has many urban areas suitable for both medical examinations and relaxation.

Developing medical tourism is a major policy of the Party and the State, as reflected in the Tourism Law, Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017 of the Politburo on developing tourism into a key economic sector, and Prime Minister's Directive No. 34 dated April 10, 2025 on promoting tourism development associated with the goal of double-digit economic growth.

High-value industries

Currently, medical tourism is becoming a global trend. It's a unique combination of high-quality medical services and travel experiences. At a medical tourism development workshop held in Lam Dong province at the end of August, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan stated that the global medical tourism market is projected to reach US$100 billion in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 15-25%. Medical tourism in Vietnam is expected to reach approximately US$700 million in 2024 and is forecast to reach US$4 billion by 2033, with an average annual growth rate of 18%. With these figures, Vietnam holds a promising position on the world medical tourism map.

In the first seven months of 2025, Lam Dong welcomed over 14 million tourists and aims to reach over 22 million by 2025. With its unique ecosystem, numerous "specialty" tourism resources, and convenient transportation, Lam Dong has the foundation to develop medical tourism.

According to the Provincial Tourism Promotion Center, the central area of ​​the province, considered the "land of a thousand flowers," is located at an altitude of 1,500m above sea level. With its cool, temperate climate year-round, it will develop medical tourism focusing on post-treatment rehabilitation, respiratory and cardiovascular care, and mental health. The "land of the vast forests" is the western part of the province, with its majestic mountains, waterfalls, and geoparks, making it suitable for meditation and yoga.

The "blue sea" area features long stretches of sandy beaches with luxurious resorts, ideal for therapies utilizing marine nutrients, salt-algae-mud treatments, and light physical rehabilitation.

In addition, the Vinh Hao mineral springs and the Bung Thi hot springs can also be used for bathing, steaming, and therapeutic treatments. According to Huynh Thi Phuong Duyen, Director of the Lam Dong Provincial Department of Health: The province has a very large and diverse area for growing medicinal herbs; it has three general hospitals, three traditional medicine hospitals, and two rehabilitation hospitals. Furthermore, hundreds of resorts are ready to cooperate with the health sector to promote traditional medicine and rehabilitation tourism.

In September, Lam Dong province will hold a conference to promote the healthcare sector. The healthcare sector has also submitted a document to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of the planning for 18 projects focusing on high-quality hospitals specializing in stroke treatment and cardiovascular interventions, along with medical tourism projects and resort hospitals at tourist destinations.

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), shared: To promote the "essence" of traditional medicine, health and wellness tourism is very suitable for mountainous and coastal climates. With its natural advantages, Lam Dong needs to create a favorable investment environment and develop health tourism products such as high-end health recovery, acupuncture, acupressure, mineral baths, and medicinal herbs associated with nature. Health tourism will have a longer stay compared to regular tourism.

Attracting international tourists

Lam Dong province still lacks hospital clusters that meet international standards, and lacks the "hospital-hotel" model; long-term care services remain fragmented. Nguyen Linh Vu, Director of the Provincial Tourism Promotion Center, stated: In addition to planning healthcare facilities at tourist destinations, the province needs to build a center for coordinating emergency services and medical tourism referrals, and develop electronic medical records linked to hospitals worldwide.

Checking the quality of sea grapes before processing at DT Khanh Hoa Seaweed Joint Stock Company. (Photo by HA LINH)

Besides policies to reduce land rent and provide green interest rate support, the province needs to attract socialized capital to build rehabilitation projects and multi-specialty clinics that meet international standards, in order to link with higher-level hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City for technology transfer.

Aiming for a model for the whole country, the Director of the Provincial Department of Health, Huynh Thi Phuong Duyen, said: The province needs to direct departments and agencies to develop specific policies and solutions regarding planning, orientation, attracting investment, and resources from the state…

In addition, the central government is developing a model for medical tourism; and Lam Dong province is seeking permission to conduct a pilot program. The health sector is advising the Provincial People's Committee on how to orient medical tourism projects to become part of the local socio-economic development strategy. A unified ecosystem between tourism, healthcare, culture, and businesses also needs to be established.

Some tourism experts believe that human resources supporting the intermediary sectors of healthcare and tourism play a crucial role. These employees must have knowledge of both tourism and healthcare, and be fluent in multiple foreign languages ​​to understand the medical situation and provide health advice. Lam Dong needs to develop healthcare services with examination costs 2-4 times lower than in developed countries.

This presents a great opportunity to attract international tourists to utilize Vietnam's cutting-edge medical services such as in-vitro fertilization, cosmetic surgery, dentistry, and interventional cardiology. Alongside this, the province must also develop hospitals and medical centers that meet international standards and are capable of receiving and treating international tourists.

The National Tourism Administration (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) is collaborating with the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management ( Ministry of Health) to develop a plan for the development of medical tourism.

Text and photos: THANH HAI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/loi-the-moi-tu-du-lich-y-te-post908105.html