Croatia Medical Travel is from April 2010 a full-fledged member of the Association for the development of medical tourism in Croatia - www.UMT.hr
This year the Association was again the main organizer of the conference of medical tourism, Croatia Medical Travel also participated as the central agency.
The second Croatian conference with international participation, held in Opatija, 25th-27th April 2010.
The focus of the conference was the presentation of the Croatian Resources and guidelines for the convergence to the global and constantly growing trend of medical tourism.
The conference was attended by recognized entities in the field of medicine and science, business, tourism, and representatives of the ministries of tourism and health.
Particularly involved were, in the area of health tourism internationally renowned, Keith Pollard (Treatment Abroad) and Dr. Uwe Klein (Manager of the organization for European conferences of medical tourism), which told participants about their experience with developmental factors and business philosophy.
Four main topics covered in the lectures were:
1. Elements of the strategy for the development of health tourism
2. International experience
3. Legal guidelines for the development of industry
4. Health tourism as an extension of the tourist season (Dental Medicine, Wellness, extended stay of third
age persons)
In cooperation with the ministries of tourism and health care guidelines are suggested, which serve as prerequisites for successful development of health tourism. These requirements include among others: the categorization of medical institutions, the introduction of quality standards, creating a definition for services such as medical wellness, the rules for obtaining various licenses and the prerequisites for obtaining permission to perform certain services.
Both ministries have agreed, to draw up a summary of guidelines until 2010, with the purpose to encourage additionally the development of this type of tourism in Croatia.
One of the aims of the conference was also, to connect the offer in the field of medicine and health with travel agencies, hoteliers, investors and agencies for the promotion. Therefore, a significant number of entrepreneurs of these activities, attended the conference.
Conclusions held another conference for the development of medical tourism were:
• Health tourism is strongly growing
• Compared with neighboring countries, Croatia is using only 5% of it’s potential
• Important croatian advantages for this type of tourism are: highly qualified personnel and the
attractiveness of the destination
• Necessary preconditions for successful growth in Croatia are also:
- Legal guidelines of both ministries (announced by the end of 2010.), which should allow, in mutual harmony, a unique development
- Encouraging local and foreign tour operators and agencies for the promotion of Croatian medical and health tourism
• The advantages that Croatia has from health tourism are:
- Development of medicine and health
- Extension of tourist season
- The growth of tourism in general: hotel, air transportation and other carriers, travel agencies, insurance companies, promotion of tourism in less developed areas of the country
