The island of Saint Lucia, known as a leading Caribbean destination for romance and boutique luxury, is embracing a new niche - health and wellness. The first Saint Lucia Health and Wellness Retreat is set for November 17 to 20 in Soufrière with the support of the Soufrière Foundation, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and American Airlines.
With cosmetic surgery prices becoming astronomical in today's economy, the allure of medical tourism is ever-increasing. Tragically, many people tend to paint a negative picture of traveling for that extra nip/tuck, with horror stories that range from ill-trained physicians to organ harvesters.
Invest Barbados today announced that a new world-class hospital will be built on the site of the former St. Joseph Hospital as part of a long-term development program that will also bring several specialty treatment centers, biotechnology research companies and patient accommodation facilities to the country over the next five years.
During this last two years, Medical Tourism has taken a very strong lead in Central America because of a sharp increase in medical services and insurance costs in the United States, the main market for patients for the world medical tourism industry, and because the incredible violence erupted in northern Mexico, that use to be a traditional medical tourism destination for north Americans.
A cardiovascular surgeon from India, Devi Shetty, whose family owns a medical service in Bangalore with the concept of low cost, has reached an agreement with the Cayman Islands to construct a medical complex aimed at the North American market. It will cost some two billion dollars and will include a hospital, university and a center for specialized services. The first phase of 200-300 beds, costing one hundred million dollars is anticipated to open in two years.
The capital city of San Jose is the destination of choice for medical tourists to Costa Rica, but other destinations are developing too. Clínica Bíblica’s future Guanacaste hospital is in a region with an expanding airport. The hospital is part of the Sun Ranch development with hotels, a golf course and a retirement community. A new luxury hotel, Sol Meliá Paradisus Resort plans to open in Guanacaste in 2013.