Taiwan Land Development eyes medical tourism market

The company cited a recent issue of Newsweek which highlighted that by 2012, Asia's medical tourism market will grow to US$4.4 billion and that medical tourism has been heavily promoted by many countries in the region including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and India.

Data provided by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, meanwhile, suggest that the industry already has a size of US$40 billion this year, with 40 million people conducting medical tours, or 4 percent of the world's total travel population.

According to Chiu Fu-sheng, chairman of Taiwan Land Development, the company wants to showcase Taiwan's expertise in the areas of medical and care provision, at the same time take advantage of business opportunities in medical tourism in the wake of the signing of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).

He said the development of the village in the eastern county of Hualien has shown the most progress, with the company seeking to invite Hsieh Ying-hua, vice president and doctor at Wangfang Hospital, as well as medical professionals from Macau and Thailand to serve as advisors to the village.

He said Taiwan Land Development will apply to the Hualien County Government in November to reserve 20 hectares of the village specifically for international travelers. Final integration of the project will begin in spring of next year at the earliest, he said.

He said preventive care has become an international trend, and medical resources are no longer devoted entirely to those who are sick and old. He said Taiwan's medical industry has gained a reputation in the world and is respected by the Chinese as well as people in other nations.

At the same time, Taiwan boasts beautiful mountains and rivers and has fresh air, making it particularly suitable to build healthcare resorts, Chiu said.

He said Taiwan Land Development will provide medical-related hardware and software and team up with medical facilities to attract business from tourists, especially those seeking health checkups and cosmetic surgery in Taiwan.

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