TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno discussed plans to develop medical tourism, including wellness tourism, with the Executive Board of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI).

“I thank and appreciate our steps in developing health tourism in Indonesia,” said Sandiaga at his office on Wednesday, June 2.

Medical tourism has become one of the leading programs applied by many countries to attract tourists. Based on the data published on researchandmarket.com in March 2020, the potential of the global medical tourism market until 2026 was estimated to reach US$ 179.6 million or around Rp2,580,4 trillion.

Indonesia is considered to have the potential to develop this type of tourism, yet it has not been optimized properly. Besides, Indonesia has not been listed yet in the ASIA’s top destinations for medical tourism according to data from Global Healthcare Resources.

“We hope that this will be a step for structural improvement because more than Rp100 trillion is spent abroad for health services per year which can actually be provided in Indonesia,” said Sandiaga.

Sandiaga Uno said he would encourage the establishment of the Indonesian Health Tourism Board. Indonesia also planned to develop fitness tourism, aesthetics, anti-aging, and medical herbs tourism, medical scientific tourism, and health sports tourism.

The IDI Chairman Daeng M. Faqih welcomed the government's steps. “We are very grateful that all components in the government actually support and help us. We are ready to be part of the development of medical tourism,” he said.

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NINIS CHAIRUNNISA