Medical Tourism in Brazil: An Ever-Growing Trend
Millions of people travel to the country every year in search of surgery and medical care, due to Brazil’s high standard of care and lower costs than in regions such as Europe and North America
Mariana Romero Roy
Medical tourism, or health tourism, is growing at an impressive rate for travelers seeking medical treatment – whether or not combined with leisure – in other parts of the world, with the sector expected to expand by 15% to 25% each year, according to the United States Medical Tourism Association. From complete check-ups to medical treatments and surgeries, these patients are attracted by the high standard of treatment at lower costs than in markets such as the United States and Europe.
In Latin America alone, this market was estimated at US$ 7 billion in 2022 – and is set to surpass US$ 17 billion by 2027. It is worth noting that Brazil is one of the leaders in medical tourism in the region, attracting travelers from North America, Europe and even other Latin American countries.
While the country is in demand for its excellence in various specialties, including bariatric surgery, dentistry and orthopedics, it is aesthetic procedures, a sector where Brazil is a world leader, that drives the numbers up. Brazil is the country that carries out the second largest number of aesthetic surgeries in the world, behind only the United States, according to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).
But that’s not all: other differentials leverage Brazil’s potential for medical tourism, such as an increasingly qualified, technologically advanced and fast-growing healthcare market. According to research firm Insights10, by 2030, the Brazilian healthcare market is expected to reach US$ 13 billion. In addition, Brazil was the second country in the world, after the United States, to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for its medical centers, which guarantees the highest international standards of quality and safety. Currently, more than 50 Brazilian medical centers have been awarded this certification.
Major Medical Tourism Hubs in Brazil
The state of São Paulo stands out as the largest health tourism hub in the country, with more than 34% of plastic surgeries, of which 60% are carried out in the capital alone, according to the Gallup Organization. On top of the large number of medical centers, São Paulo also offers a wide range of accommodation, services and leisure options, as well as trade fairs and congresses, which attract tourists from all over the world.
Behind this metropolis, the state of Pernambuco, and especially its capital Recife, is the second largest medical tourism hub in Brazil, with more than 2,000 healthcare centers. According to the Research Sector of the Pernambuco Department of Tourism and Leisure, more than 120,000 tourists came to Recife for medical treatment in 2022. Some of the reasons behind Pernambuco’s popularity in medical tourism are its excellent medical care, lower costs than São Paulo and the state itself as a tourist destination with its beautiful beaches, which attract foreigners interested in combining medical care with leisure time.
In addition to São Paulo and Recife, other state capitals that attract health tourists in Brazil are Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Porto Alegre, which also concentrate quality medical services and robust tourist infrastructure.
A New Market
The surge in demand for medical treatments and surgeries on Brazilian soil has also opened the door to new specialized complementary services, especially in view of the long stay of these visitors – three weeks on average. Patients from all over the world can find solutions such as home and hotel care – which offer personalized accommodation – transportation, nutritional support, appointments for exams, restaurant reservations and even translator and interpreter services for tourists who don’t speak Portuguese, especially in the largest state capitals such as São Paulo.
This demand has created opportunities for a number of other sectors, from specialized hotels to ensure the necessary care to tourism agencies and specialized markets such as pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and care services, opening up space for professionals such as caregivers and nurses to specialize in this field.
However, in order for Brazil to fully leverage the potential of medical tourism and thus thrive in other directly or indirectly related sectors, the country’s tourism agencies need to look more carefully at this market – which, unlike in major competitor countries such as India, Malaysia and Thailand, is not among the sector’s investment priorities.
To this end, public and private bodies must mobilize to connect the many different agents who work or have the potential to work in Brazilian medical tourism, creating more and more opportunities and high-quality services, in line with domestic medical excellence.
Next steps
Contact GHI to find out more about trends in the healthcare sector and their potential impact on the medical equipment and devices sector in Latin America. Our team of researchers is ready to provide the strategic analysis your company needs to gain valuable insights and guide strategic decision-making in your markets.
