Colombia plans to boost health and welfare tourism in the country and become a world-wide recognized destination for health tourists.
Colombian authorities Friday launched a business plan to support the development of health tourism. The plan foresees revenues of U.S.$6 billion by 2012.
"In Colombia, health tourism is still young but the growth potential is enormous. Currently, 2.2 percent of tourists to Colombia visit the country for health treatments. Many of them are looking for welfare services," the Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Luis Guillermo Plata, told local media.
To keep up with the global players in health tourism, the government seeks to increase the number of professionals by creating special academic programs, to improve foreign language knowlegde and to generate capacity in research, development and innovation.
The plan also foresees the increase in special welfare insititutes, like beauty farms and plastic surgery hospitals.
According to Minister Plata, Colombia will focus on aesthetic, preventive and curative medicine, providing high standards of quality and safety to become a world leader in health and welfare tourism.
