KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 – Malaysia is advancing steadily to emerge as a leading global healthcare destination in 2025, with the success of the healthcare tourism sector chalking up a RM2.25 billion revenue in 2023.
In just a year before the completion of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025, the aspiration to fulfil the “Best Malaysia Healthcare Travel Experience” by 2025 can be achieved following a growing number of health tourists making their way to Malaysia.
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), an agency under the Ministry of Health (MOH), told Bernama that the country recorded 584,468 health tourist arrivals for the first half of 2024 (1H 2024).
The agency said, in comparison, Malaysia recorded more than one million health tourist arrivals in 2023, up by a significant 15 per cent from 850,000 in 2022, firmly entrenching the country as a fast-growing medical destination.
MHTC said Indonesia was the highest contributor of health tourists to Malaysia, comprising 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the total number last year.
As a background, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025, which, among others, touches on the role of public and private sector stakeholders within the healthcare travel ecosystem, has managed to provide a framework of cohesive end-to-end experience to the health tourists with a high emphasis on the Malaysia healthcare brand.
Among the key touchpoints of the blueprint are medical services, teleconsultation, access to information, insurance, accommodation and immigration, which will drive the industry forward and make Malaysia a focal point to showcase the “Best Malaysia Healthcare Travel Experience” by 2025.
The agency said the health tourism industry aims to generate RM2.4 billion in revenue for the whole of this year, and thus far, the sector has generated RM954.90 million in revenue for 1H 2024.
MHTC said this is expected to contribute to an economic spillover to other industries to the tune of RM9.6 billion.
