The Ministry of Health will hold a four-day health tourism conference offering public and private entities the opportunity to gain insight on the new trends of wellness and medical tourism in the country.
The 2012 International Health Tourism Conference (IHTC): “Public Private Partnership through Indonesian Health Tourism for Contributing ASEAN Community”, which will take place from Nov.28 to Dec.1 at Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta, will offer attendees the opportunity to explore the benefits and investment opportunities in the health tourism sector in Indonesia.
Speaking to journalists about the upcoming conference, the chairman of the Health Ministry’s health tourism working group, Untung Suseno, said on Friday that the conference would promote and support the country’s health system in its bid to offer world class healthcare. It would also give participants firsthand knowledge about Indonesia’s potential business opportunities and its development as a major health tourism destination in the region.
“Indonesia is very rich in traditional medicines and indigenous healing wisdom, it’s crucial to know how to capitalize on them so we can gain a foothold in the health tourism industry in the global market,” he told a press briefing at the Ministry office on Friday.
Health tourism includes wellness and medical tourism and has become a great source of income for several countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. About 80 percent of the population in Asia and Africa depend on traditional medicines, a World Health Organization (WHO) data says.
During the conference, the participants, which included local and international tour operators, hospitals and traditional care owners, will have opportunity to have face to face meetings with government officials, associations and industry players.
In addition to the four-day program, the conference will offer several field trips to hospitals with international accreditation such as Eka Hospital and MRCCC Siloam Jakarta and wellness centers which include Mustika Ratu and Martha Tilaar Spa – to give the participants an experience of the potentials of medical and wellness tourism in the country. (iwa)
Sourced: thejakartapost
