/ Posted on 1 February, 2021 8:30
The pandemic has snuffed out the medical tourism boom in South-east Asia, leaving the once-thriving sector ailing. TTG Asia reporters examine how the industry is fighting to nurse the sector back to financial health.
Singapore
By Pamela Chow
While medical and wellness is not a current focus of her tourism strategy, Singapore may find ample opportunity in this sector, thanks to her effective clampdown on the spread of Covid-19, as well as her egalitarian distribution of vaccines since December 2020. The island nation’s speedy turnaround during the pandemic has earned her global recognition that could benefit her status as a hub for treatment and restoration.
New strategies, stronger collaborations needed to revive tourism industry 29 Dec 2020 / 10:49 H. Pix for representational purpose only.
KUALA LUMPUR: As the year 2020 draws to an end, Malaysian tourism players are looking forward to the implementation of strategies outlined under the National Tourism Policy (DPN) 2020-2030 which they hope will drive the industry.
They are optimistic of a steady, albeit slow, recovery of tourism activities – which contributed RM240.2 billion, or 15.9 percent, to Malaysia’s gross domestic product in 2019 – through the implementation of the strategies even though the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to show any sign of abating.
In 2019, foreign tourist receipts grew 2.4 percent to RM86.1 billion from 26.1 million tourist arrivals. This year, however, Covid-19 has dealt a severe blow to the tourism industry which suffered losses estimated at over RM100 billion.
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The Post journalist Neang Sopheap won the ‘Best Online Report of the Year [International] Award’. Hean Rangsey
Phnom Penh Post journalist grabs top award in Malaysia
Sun, 13 December 2020
The Phnom Penh Post won a top international award at the Medical Travel Media Awards 2020 (MTMA 2020) competition that was held in Malaysia on December 10.
The Post journalist Neang Sopheap won the “Best Online Report of the Year [International] Award” for his article titled
Malaysia’s medical sector welcomes patients worldwide in all weathers, which was published in October.
Sopheap also emerged second in the Best Print Report (International) category and third in the Best Medical Travel Journalist of the Year Award section.
Daily Sun reporter wins int’l award
Staff Correspondent
12th December, 2020 09:18:21
Jannatul Islam of the Daily Sun received an international award from Malaysia’s state-run Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) for contributing internationally on the issue of telemedicine amid corona pandemic.
As part of its award programme, MHTC recognised journalists, editors, producers, and media organizations for contributions in respective fields locally and internationally.
MHTC announced the awards at a grand finale held virtually on Thursday where participants and officials shared thoughts through video conferencing.
Jannatul Islam ran a report titled ‘Telemedicine empowers Malaysia-Bangladesh medical tourism’, which was named as the best print media report in the international category.
Malaysia healthcare tourism
KUALA LUMPUR: As Covid-19 vaccines roll out, Malaysia aims to surpass the RM1bil revenue mark of healthcare travel to hospital facilities within the next two to three years, which will contribute up to RM6bil to the country’s economic growth.
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council chief executive officer Sherene Azli (pic) said the target to achieve healthcare travel revenue of more than RM1bil would be possible in the next two to three years as there would be more certainty towards policies for healthcare tourism, including the medical travel bubble coupled with the availability of vaccines.