Gangnam-gu, Focused Strategy on Vietnamese Medical Tourists

Gangnam-gu Targets Medical Tourists at Vietnam Medi-Pharm Expo

From August 3 to 5, Gangnam-gu and six partner medical institutions jointly operate the ‘Gangnam Medical Tourism Special Pavilion’ at the Vietnam site

Targeting the Vietnamese market with unique medical tourism services such as one-stop concierge service and the medical tourism platform ‘Medical Gangnam’

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will participate in the Vietnam Medi-Pharm Expo held from the 3rd to the 5th at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Vietnam, together with six Gangnam-gu medical tourism partner institutions, to attract Vietnamese medical tourists.

Last year, 2,806 Vietnamese medical tourists visited Gangnam-gu, ranking sixth after the United States, China, Thailand, Japan, and Mongolia. Vietnam ranked fifth among countries attracting foreign patients to Korea last year, and as there is high interest in Korean medical technology, it is a global market capable of attracting various medical tourists.

‘Vietnam Medi-Pharm’ is the abbreviation of the ‘International Medical, Hospital & Pharmaceutical Exhibition in Hochiminh City,’ which is celebrating its 21st year this year. Hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and VINEXAD (Vietnam Trade Fair and Advertising Company), it is a health sector exhibition featuring 400 companies from 17 countries with 450 booths.

The district operates the ‘Gangnam Medical Tourism Special Pavilion’ together with six hospitals: Dream Seongmo Eye Clinic, Mini Switchwa Hospital, Miso Plastic Surgery, View Plastic Surgery, Stantop Urology Clinic, and Wonderful Plastic Surgery, to attract Vietnamese medical tourists.

At the special pavilion, Gangnam’s medical institutions with excellent medical staff, as well as convenient medical tourism services, are promoted to target the Vietnamese market. Services such as the ‘one-stop concierge service,’ which provides safe pickup and interpretation throughout the entire process from the medical tourist’s arrival to departure, and the medical tourism platform ‘Medical Gangnam,’ which allows users to search, consult, and make reservations for Gangnam medical tourism information all at once, are introduced. On the opening day of the pavilion, August 3, over 2,500 visitors experienced the services and received medical consultations.

Additionally, a ‘Medical Experience Zone’ is operated where visitors can check their skin and hair loss conditions and try eye care devices, as well as a ‘Business Zone’ for business meetings. Medical institutions plan to build mutual cooperative relationships for patient attraction through one-on-one business meetings with local recruitment companies. On the 3rd, 45 business meetings were held, and 135 professional buyers visited.

Furthermore, the delegation plans to visit Vinmec Hospital, the largest general hospital in Vietnam, on the 4th to exchange and understand the status of the Vietnamese medical market for local expansion. On the 4th and 5th, they will participate in the Medi-Pharm Conference, a side event of the expo. They plan to focus on introducing specialties such as ophthalmic surgery, dental technology, and rhinoplasty trends of each medical institution to establish a foundation for patient attraction and local expansion. In addition, the ‘Gangnam, the representative city of medical tourism’ brand will be promoted through outdoor advertising in Ho Chi Minh City and SNS events.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “I hope this expo will be an opportunity to showcase the expertise and excellence of Gangnam medical tourism in Vietnam, the largest medical tourism market in Southeast Asia,” and added, “We will continue to target the global medical tourism market with customized promotional strategies by country.”