Foreign medical tourists visiting South Korea are increasingly seeking dental and ophthalmology services. (Image courtesy of Creatrip)
SEOUL, Mar. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent analysis by the inbound tourism platform Creatrip has revealed that in addition to the popular plastic surgery and dermatology procedures, foreign medical tourists visiting South Korea are increasingly seeking dental and ophthalmology services.
Based on data from the company’s medical tourism booking service for the first two months of 2024, plastic surgery clinics topped the list in terms of both transaction volume and revenue among the medical facilities offered through the platform.
Compared to the same period last year, transaction volume and revenue from plastic surgery bookings surged by approximately 220% and 270% respectively.
Overseas visitors primarily opted for so-called “petit procedures” such as fillers, Botox, and lifts that can be completed and recovered from within a short timeframe. Notably, Taiwanese tourists accounted for a staggering 77% of these bookings, demonstrating overwhelming demand.
Dermatology emerged as the segment experiencing the sharpest growth in interest, with appointment and procedure bookings via Creatrip soaring by around 830% compared to the same period in 2023.
Among dermatology clients, Japanese tourists comprised about 40% of bookings, indicating a relatively higher preference for these services among visitors from Japan compared to other medical tourism offerings.
Dental and ophthalmology services are also rapidly gaining popularity in Korea’s medical tourism market.
In the first two months of 2024, dental appointment bookings increased by approximately 450% year-on-year, while revenue from these bookings surged by around 400%.
“So far, Korea’s medical tourism has been dominated by plastic surgery and dermatology clinics, but we anticipate an even greater influx of foreign visitors seeking dental and ophthalmology services this year compared to previous years,” remarked Yim Haemin, CEO of Creatrip.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
