BTMEDI Participates as a Medical Tourism Facilitator, Discussing Regional Cooperation
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) held a Regional Medical Tourism Council Meeting on the 12th at Sono Calm Goyang in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
This meeting was organized for the first time with the aim of dispersing medical tourism demand concentrated in Seoul and strengthening the competitiveness of regional medical tourism.
The meeting was attended by approximately 40 participants, including representatives from MCST, KTO, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, general hospitals located in Goyang, and medical tourism facilitators. BTMEDI, a company specializing in international patient recruitment and medical tourism concierge services, also participated as a medical tourism facilitator.
During the meeting, KTO shared the outcomes of its 2024 medical tourism promotion initiatives. Participants engaged in discussions on key issues such as infrastructure development for medical tourism, improvements to regulations related to medical advertising, and visa approval processes for medical coordinators.
BTMEDI Shares Direction for Regional Medical Tourism Cooperation Based on Global Patient Recruitment Experience
At the meeting, BTMEDI shared insights on the importance of collaboration between regional medical institutions and medical tourism facilitators, drawing on its extensive practical experience across the entire medical tourism process, including international patient consultation and recruitment, hospital coordination, medical concierge services, and post-treatment care.
In particular, BTMEDI discussed strategies to move beyond the Seoul-centric medical tourism structure by strengthening partnerships with medical institutions in Goyang and other regional areas, thereby expanding choices for international patients and enhancing regional medical tourism competitiveness.
BTMEDI plans to continue expanding cooperation with government bodies, public institutions, medical providers, and regional partners, actively contributing to the development of regional medical tourism models and the growth of international patient recruitment.
Professor Byun Jung-woo, Distinguished Professor of Tourism and Wellness at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, emphasized that discovering region-specific medical services and improving entry convenience for international patients are essential to revitalizing regional medical tourism.
Seo Young-chung, Acting President of the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, “Of the 1.17 million international medical tourists who visited Korea last year, approximately 85 percent—around one million—visited Seoul,” adding that “we will work to attract more international medical tourists and promote balanced regional development by forming councils with areas such as Goyang, Busan, and Incheon, where medical infrastructure is well established.”
