Access Tourism NZ TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SENIORS, AND AGEING BOOMERS IN NEW ZEALAND AND WORLDWIDE

Aussies realize potential of medical tourism while NZ turns its back on this lucrative market.

Australia has just held its first ever Health and Wellness travel conference (ATEC).

More than 60 delegates representing the tourism,health, medical and government sectors heard global experts outline the opportunities available in the travel sector.

The conference concluded with the “Cairns Declaration”, outlining the broad principles of Australia’s planned entry into this lucrative and growing tourism sector.  Tourism and health professionals have agreed to work together to build a viable medical tourism sector in Australia.

“Countries such as Singapore and Dubai are already investing billions in building new hospitals and other facilities to cater for the forecasted boom in medical travel in the decades to come. It’s time Australia did the same ” said Matt Hingerty, MD of the Australian Tourism Export Council.  The council has a Health and Wellness Travel and Advisory Panel with a stated objective to “position Australia as a leading health and well being destination through the promotion of advanced medical services, natural attributes and well-being experiences”.

Meanwhile in New Zealand, Associate Tourism Minister Jonathan Coleman says this sector has not been considered, and there has yet to be any government discussion on medical tourism (Nigel Coventry, Inside Tourism 742 19/6/2009).

This is in spite of the fact that Sprinboard Vacation’s LA-based Ruth Grau – who is working for Medtral NZ – believes that there is the potential for 2,000 American medical tourists to New Zealand a year.  This would equate to between 30,000 to 40,000 hotel bednights per year.  So far, six Americans have visited New Zealand for private surgery.  The first hotels to be used are SkyCity Grand and City Life because they offer facilities for the disabled.

If New Zealand ever does take advantage of the huge potential there is in developing a medical tourism sector, we will need to be prepared by making sure that any tourism facility used by medical tourism patients – including a widened source of  accommodation, and facilities such as transport, and tourism and travel products likely to be used by recuperating patients are accessible for people with disabilities.