Egypt has always been a hot-spot for tourism. From the world’s best beaches to the ancient wonders and beautiful weather, we really do have it all. However, some tourists have started to make a habit of going on a vacation to Om El Donia but not entirely just for the Instagram photos. Compared to the US and the UK, it’s cheaper to have medical checkups, operations and everything in between right here.
After conducting much research and talking to professionals, we’ve found out that the most popular treatments that are used by medical tourists are cosmetic surgery and dentistry. Putting in mind that most doctors and surgeons in Egypt receive their credentials abroad, so quality and safety is highly guaranteed!
“It has to be an appealing offer that tempts tourists to come. A credible system must be created where the patient can file a complaint regarding services and is entitled to be provided information regarding the hospitals’ mechanism for the initiation.”
However, Egypt is unfortunately not reaching its full potential in becoming a hub for medical tourism. “Marketing is the main problem why we aren’t getting as many tourists as we should. We need to have professional travel agencies in Egypt that offer medical packages for tourists. They need to include accommodations, consultations, treatment and aftercare. Tarek Saleh, a highly-accredited dentist at Smile Centre International, Cairo, told us “It has to be an appealing offer that tempts tourists to come. A credible system must be created where the patient can file a complaint regarding services and is entitled to be provided information regarding the hospitals’ mechanism for the initiation.” Saleh added.
Tourists, especially Europeans, see this process very simply; they can come and get their teeth done with flawless quality whilst having a beautiful, therapeutic vacation at the same time and wiping Egypt off of their bucket list. Oh, and this entire procedure will still cost them a tenth of what it would originally cost in Europe. But, tourists can do so much more than having their new perfect teeth present on a Snapchat filter to a selfie with the Sphinx.
In Egypt, rhinoplasty will approximately cost €1,500. Breast augmentation, on the hand, will amount to €1,000, while having a face lift will have a €2,000 price tag. “Medical tourism opens a lot of opportunities in Egypt. Plastic surgeries are extremely cheap compared to other countries, with them costing nearly the quarter of the original price back in those tourists’ home countries. We seriously need specialized travel agencies with spectacular marketing campaigns to boost our medical tourism rate which will definitely enhance our economy.” Rama Ahmed, consultant of plastic surgery at Kasr El Aini School of Medicine, told us.
With Egypt’s tourism slowly getting on its feet, we desperately need to make sure that it never falls back ever again.
