Cluster for health tourism
Bulgaria
07.06.2013
Cluster for Health Tourism –
Bulgaria
 Bulgarian Organization was founded in 2011 in order
to organise a number of excellent professionals to join
the team providing medical, dental and esthetic
services for patients outside the borders of Bulgaria.
 Our cluster include 12 dental clinics, with the best
dentists in our country in Sofia,Plovdiv,Varna,Burgas
and Stara Zagora,tour operator,big insurance company
and bank.
 Our mission is to attract patients from abroad and
provide them with medical,dental and esthetic care of
their desire.
 We are committed to help our clients become
healthier, smarter and happier and at the same time
have lifelong pleasant memories of their stay in
Bulgaria.
 And what is also most important: this opportunity
helps patients to save a considerable amount of money
as the prices of our services are much lower than those
of the same interventions in many other countries.
 All interventions are provided in 100% safe medical or
esthetic settings, where clients can enjoy the benefits
of latest available technology and highly professional
staff.
 Most of our clinics have certificate ISO 9001/2008 .
 In addition to treatment we organize stay,
accommodation and leisure programs of choice.
 Beautiful scenery, the atmosphere and hospitality of
Bulgaria will surely have a positive effect on the health
and recovery of patients.
Quality is the major driver of medical tourism in
Europe, low prices are major strength of CEE/SEE,
Asia, South America
Why do people travel for
medical treatments?
 Lacking skills for treatment
possibilities in the homeland
(91%)
 higher quality of treatment
(78%)
 treatment by a well-known
specialist (69%)
 reduced waiting period (64%)
 48% due to a more favorable
treatment price
Eurobarometer (Gallup Institute, 2007)
8
Price-Level = Major
Chance for Asia, Eastern
Europe, South America
Euro Health Consumer Index 2009
Health Consumer Powerhouse
9
Legislative framework in the EU will
foster cross-border health care
within European borders
 1% of the EU- healthmarket =




10
~ 10 bln Euro
Development of a guideline
Free choice of place of treatment
within the EU
Simplified reimbursement
High potential in countries with an
undeveloped healthcare
infrastructure
Health & Medical Tourism Incoming-Potential to SEE
High Potential
Mid Potential
Low Potential
SEE
11
Major Source Markets
 Dental Tourism:
UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia (major all
EU countries)
 Medical Tourism
USA,Russia, UK, Ireland, Scandinavia
12
Bulgaria in dental tourism
SWOT Analysis of Bulgaria’s
Health Tourism
Opportunities
Threats
Development of a strategy and action plan for
health tourism development
Proximity to other competing markets such as
Turkey
Creating opportunities for a multifunctional
all year usage of the resort areas with a complex
usage of their resources
Proximity of Hungary, which is a major
competitor, to source markets such as Germany
and Austria
 Preservation and Protection of the natural
resources
Lack of cooperation between insurance
companies and health insurance fund
Professionalization of Marketing & Sales
Lack of cooperation between the health sector
and the tourism sector
Improving the mechanisms for collaboration
between the institutions having competence in
the field of health tourism
 Functional cluster building
 Development of health tourism packages
14
Outdated medical equipment in lots of cases
The medical tourism destination is an
interdisciplinary cluster and requires a
management body
Outpost
IT-Platforms
Tourist
feature
Patient service /
interpreter
Surgery
Medical
Center
Gym
Patientmediator
health destination of the
future
Clustermanagement +
DMO
Hospital
Insur
ance
15
Public
authorities
University
Hotel
Organisation
Certifier
Retail
Rehabilitation
Destination Management
16
1
Development of a masterplan for
the destination
2
Realisation of cooperations
in the destination
3
Development of products and new
attractions
4
Professional strategic and
operative tourism marketing
5
Development of a professional
tourism organisation
6
Quality management and quality
improvement-program
Sustainable health
& medical tourism
destination
development
Deductions for Bulgarian Health
Destinations & Facilities
Cluster-Initiatives /
PPP-Networks / Brand
Development Program
Destination Level
Contract Med. Facilities –
International Patient Mediators
Governmental Support /
Bulgarian
High Diplomacy
Health & Medical
Tourism
Development Program
Market
Systematic Cross-Border Health
Company Level
Care / Insurance Contracts
17
Strategic Positioning of Bulgaria as a health tourism
destination
(Golden Triangle)
 Low price strategy – but not only low price!
 „Quality on time at reasonable prices“
 Health is a matter of trust - medical quality is a must
 Combination of good quality with a time
minimization strategy at reasonable low prices
needed
Quality
Time
18
Price
Health tourism
“Life is always a trip!”