The Seoul Metropolitan City Government plans to unveil district-specific medical tourism programs reserved for foreigners as part of its effort to meet growing demand for such programs and promote the industry, officials said Wednesday.

The municipal government is devising tour programs that integrate medical services for which certain city districts are well-known along with famous tourist attractions. It plans to start them as early as next month, according to officials.

“We expect to create synergy effects by combining medical tour products with city tour programs. We will discover and select a tour course by next month,” said a city official.

In addition to skin care, cosmetic surgery, cancer treatment, and joint care, Seoul will run an Oriental medicine experience program for foreign tourists this year, with a budget of KRW 100 million. It will create spaces in which foreign tourists can be examined and receive acupuncture and other therapies in order to increase foreign tourists’ interest in Oriental medicine.

Last year, about 80,000 foreign tourists visited Korea to receive medical services.

Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (Mar. 13, 2013)

** This article was translated from the Korean.