Greece Looks to Develop Framework for Medical Tourism Products

The Tourism Ministry is joining forces with the University of Patras and the regions of Western Greece and the Peloponnese to establish an institutional and technological framework to develop and market national medical tourism products.

A programmatic cooperation agreement on the matter was signed on Tuesday between Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, University of Patras Rector Venetsana Kyriazopoulou and the vice governors of Western Greece and Peloponnese, Apostolos Katsifaras and Petros Tatoulis, respectively.

The new framework will aim to support and standardize the development and promotion of medical tourism products by any union bodies, organizations and businesses that wish to offer the products to Greek or foreign consumers.

The institutional framework will provide the basis for the processing and establishment of an official legislative framework to outline the commercial and financial utilization of such products.

The technological framework will outline necessary details for the launch of a web site to promote Greece’s medical tourism products and the creation of  applications for their commercial and financial management.

According to the tourism ministry, the framework is expected to boost medical tourism as a major activity for the industry and the national economy.

A pilot project for the development and promotion of medical tourism products will initially start from the prefectures of Achaia and Corinth and later expand throughout Greece.