BDMS and Minor Hotels join hands to prepare for expected rapid growth in wellness tourism

Dr Tanupol Virunhagarun, chief executive officer of BDMS Wellness Clinic, stated at a press conference on Monday that following the Covid-19 pandemic, people are more aware and prioritising preventive measures to improve their wellness and longevity. These needs drive medical and wellness tourism demand from tourists all over the world.

"It is regarded as the future of Thailand's medical tourism industry, which is rapidly expanding. The trend is expected to continue once borders reopen following Covid-19. As a specialist in preventive and personalised medicine, BDMS Wellness Clinic recognises the sector's growth potential and has decided to collaborate with Minor Hotels,” Tanupol said.

Thailand’s wellness tourism industry will experience rapid growth in the coming years, he said, citing a recent survey that found Thailand to be the second most popular medical tourist destination in the world, behind Australia.

“This newly opened Preventive Health Care Centre is providing ways in which guests can feel connected to nature while receiving counselling and medical services from a professional team,” Tanupol added.

Minor International Plc chairman William E Heinecke expressed confidence in Thailand's medical and wellness tourism's exponential growth.

He emphasised that this type of tourism is a global mega-trend. According to McKensy, the overall value of wellness tourism is US$1.5 trillion. It is expected to grow by 5-10 per cent per year from now on.

According to a recent research, “The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID-19”, conducted by the Global Wellness Institute GWI), the growth of global wellness tourism is expected to be worth $7 trillion by 2025. Thailand will be the third country to be spotlighted on GWI’s “Geography of Wellness” microsite.

"The Covid-19 pandemic raised an alarm for health-conscious people as well as tourists. More consumers became more interested in preventive measures and in incorporating wellness into their lifestyles. Hence wellness tourists spent more time and more money per trip than the typical domestic tourist,” said Heinecke.

He insisted that Minor Hotels already recognises the increasing importance of wellness tourism or health tourism. Therefore, this is the right time for the collaboration between BDMS Wellness Clinic and Minor Hotels in launching BDMS Wellness Clinic Retreat at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort.

"I hope that this kind of collaboration will provide a new combination model for tourism business. We do have a plan to join BDMS to open this kind of centre in Phuket in the future," said Heinecke.
 

“With BDMS’s expertise in healthcare, preventive medicine and personalised medicine, combined with prime location and the relaxing atmosphere of our hotel, we have confidence that our health-conscious guests will be touched by true wellness and these challenges will surely provide many opportunities to all parties involved,” Heinecke said.

Minor Hotels is one of Thailand’s largest hotel operators with over 535 hotels and over 75,000 guest rooms under its umbrella.

Once the Covid-19 virus is under control and borders are cautiously reopened, all areas of health and wellness tourism will soon be welcoming foreign wellness tourists, demonstrating Thailand's resilience to the world, Tanupol said.

He expects this collaboration will encourage other stakeholders to participate in and invest in the country's medical and wellness tourism.

Thailand is the ideal destination for wellness tourism for a number of reasons. He insisted that Thailand truly shines thanks to its plentiful food, stunning tourist attractions, highly qualified medical professionals, state-of-the-art medical technology, and first-rate amenities in hospitality services.