The year 2013 was the year when most clinics in the Czech Republic started experiencing a growth in the medical tourism sector with most of the tourists coming from Europe.
Many patients came from Russia, Austria, Germany and the UK. The major type of medical treatment that the foreigners target is cosmetic surgery. Breast augmentation surgery accounts for almost 50 percent of the business while abdominal work, liposuction and eye surgery form the remaining half.
Foreign Citizens account for nearly a fifth of the entire cosmetic surgery clients in the Czech Republic. The economic crisis had a positive impact on the industry as most individuals want cheap cosmetic surgery but of good quality. Germans make a larger percentage of the clients followed by Austrians and Britons. Some Slovaks and Poles also come to the country for cosmetic surgery. The prizes there are almost four times lower than the prizes in the West.
Most of the German tourists are into the fertility treatment business that reported close to 5,000 customers. IVF treatment in the Czech Republic is so popular due to its less strict laws as compared to other EU countries. However, the laws are strict enough to protect customers as compared to the laws in Asia.
Surgeons in Czech receive quality training and use quality materials but provide the services at a lower price than in many EU countries. The lower prizes play a major role in attracting the tourists.
The sustainability of medical tourism that is purely pegged on price is very dependent on whatever happens back in the countries where the tourists come from. In the United Kingdom, most of the treatment and price websites are driving down prizes for cosmetic and dental care.
The same situation does not apply for fertility treatment though. The comparison sites are unable to affect the local prizes in Europe on matters relating to fertility treatments. This makes Czech Republic the best choice for most Russian, German and Austrian tourists for the better part of 2014.