Greeks Go To Russia To Promote Medical Tourism

This autumn, 15 Greek businesses, including leading private hospitals, rehabilitation centers and hotels with spa facilities, will promote their services in a workshop in Moscow to increase their clientele and establish Greece as a medical tourism destination for Russians.

This is the second workshop organized to showcase Greece as a medical and health tourism destination to the Russian market. The 2nd Greek Medical & Health Tourism Workshop will take place 30 October 2013 at the Park Hyatt Ararat Hotel in Moscow.

Russian arrivals to Greece this year increased by 30 percent, exceeding 1.2 million visitors. However, according to the workshop’s organizer, Tourism Today blog, Greece remains an “unknown health travel destination” to the Russians as shown during the first workshop held in May.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), medical tourists from Russia amount to some 300,000, with an annual growth rate of 20 percent.

Businesses that have confirmed their participation in the second workshop include Metropolitan, the IASO group, Sarafianou Clinic and kidney centers while municipalities with thermal springs have also expressed an interest to promote their services to the Russian market.

Tourism Today blog notes that Russians are very interested in spa tourism, even on an investment level.

Co-organizers to the 2nd Greek Medical & Health Tourism Workshop include the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies and the Greek Embassy in Moscow.

The workshop will be held under the auspices of the Greek Tourism Ministry, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.