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With medical tourism rapidly becoming a prime growth sector in the global tourism industry, it isn’t surprising that Vietnam is keen on stepping up its game to boost its profile as a potential hub.
On 4th September, at ITE HCMC 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, several Vietnamese government agencies signed a landmark agreement geared towards making medical tourism a priority area for development, especially in light of the fact that Vietnamese hospitals and medical professionals are developing a reputation as being amongst the best within Southeast Asia, rivalling their counterparts in Singapore and Thailand.
But what exactly can Vietnam offer the global tourism market, and what is its unique selling point with which to draw patients away from the competition?
This is what we at Travel Daily Media seek to discover in today’s feature.
Vietnamese officials gathered in Ho Chi Minh City last month to sign an understanding to drive the country’s medical tourism sector
Vietnamese medical tourism in the numbers
In an article published by industry analyst Gil Neo in July of this year on the Invest in Vietnam site, it was noted that the Vietnamese medical tourism market is projected to reach a valuation of more than US$2.5 billion by the end of 2025.
Neo likewise pointed out that the sector will be growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8 percent anticipated through 2033.
Such development is being driven by several economic trends and social demographics.
To date, these include the growth of the global middle class which has enabled more people to travel for treatment either domestically or overseas; an ageing population in various parts of the globe; increased awareness regarding available healthcare options, as well as geopolitical shifts that are forcing people to seek aid or treatment abroad.
Keeping all these factors in mind, the Vietnamese healthcare sector has been actively working on its infrastructure and manpower components to meet the surging demand.
World-class care in the heart of Indochina
It should be noted at this point that major urban centres like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offer world-class medical centres with a diverse and professionally handled range of treatments.
Indeed, it is no longer surprising to hear that western patients are making their way to these cities for cardiological treatment, orthopaedic surgery, and even the resolution of issues regarding fertility and reproduction.
Vietnam is also giving its neighbours a run for their money in terms of cosmetic surgery and dentistry, offering procedures handled with the same level of care and skill at a fraction of the cost.
The country is also known for other modalities rooted in the practice of both traditional healing and the precepts of traditional oriental medicine, on top of wellness measures passed on through generations.
Technology is also boosting the growth of such hospitals throughout the country thanks to the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the diagnostic process and robotics in the fields of surgery and critical care, on top of expanding overall patient capacity and comfort in individual institutions.
It must also be stated here that travel agents throughout Vietnam are teaming up with major hospitals to develop tour packages that combine treatment, accommodation, and tourism experiences for patients and any friends or family members accompanying them.
But issues need to be addressed
This is not to say that it’s smooth sailing for the Vietnamese medical tourism sector from this point on.
Far from it: the sector needs to jump over numerous hurdles in order to boost both overall competence and global recognition.
The language barrier is what we see first and foremost: in our recent coverage of ITE HCMC, the fact that 90 percent of the signage onsite and even the discussions on the agenda were in Vietnamese proved a barrier to many members of the media…and if this posed a challenge to us, what more for overseas patients coming into the country?
Second: Vietnam’s medical tourism sector is not as prominent or as visible as that if its closest neighbour Thailand as marketing for the sector has yet to hit the stride of its counterparts luxury, leisure, and even golf tourism.
Third: to date, even after the signing last month, Vietnam still has to come up with relevant policies and standards to regulate its medical tourism sector.
This glaring lack of regulatory measures, specifically quality assurance standards, is a major stumbling block for the sector.
Indeed, in an op-ed for The Investor in 2024 and featured on Vietnam Briefing earlier this year, Vietnamese real estate expert Hoang Nguyen declared: “The absence of an overall policy orientation has led to spontaneous and scattered development of health care tourism. Many providers have also shown a lack of professionalism and abused this type of service for their own interests.”
What could be done
For now, we see three ways by which the growth of the Vietnamese medical tourism sector could be pushed further.
Regulation is the biggest matter to address: standards need to be put in place to ensure that the standard of care is the same in any part of the country.
Language competencies need to be improved across the board from medical professionals to support staff to ensure proper communication with patients from abroad in order to allay any concerns they may have.
Lastly: a comprehensive global marketing programme needs to be developed and implemented as this will make the world more aware of the excellence of Vietnam’s medical services.
Should the country be able to pull these off, then we will not be surprised to see it rise to the top of the game delivering exceptional medical care within its borders and beyond.
The post Vietnam takes a shot at becoming Asia’s next medical tourism centre appeared first on Travel Daily Media.
Source: traveldailymedia