The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Plastic surgery remains top choice for medical tourists

By Heo Yu-jeong

Published : March 25, 2024 - 13:03

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Medical services booking page on Creatrip (Creatrip) Medical services booking page on Creatrip (Creatrip)

Plastic surgery remains the top choice for medical tourists visiting Korea, with dermatology and dentistry gaining popularity recently, according to data from Creatrip, a Korean tourism platform, Monday.

The data is derived from Creatrip’s market analysis of its medical tourism offerings in January and February this year.

Plastic surgery emerged as the leading preference among inbound tourists, with reservation rates surging 220 percent from the previous year, accompanied by a 270 percent increase in revenue. Taiwanese tourists dominated plastic surgery reservations, comprising 77 percent of the total.

Dermatology also saw a significant rise in popularity, with an 830 percent increase in reservation rates. Japanese tourists accounted for 40 percent of all dermatology reservations.

Additionally, there was a notable uptick in interest in dental and ophthalmological services, with reservation rates and revenue for dental procedures skyrocketing by 450 percent and 400 percent, respectively. Western tourists constituted 35 percent of total dental reservations.

In the realm of ophthalmology, Creatrip witnessed a growing preference among foreign tourists for vision correction surgeries. According to the company, this trend is attributed to the swift recovery and meticulous after-care services offered by Korean hospitals.

“While traditionally focused on plastic surgery and dermatology, we have observed a significant increase in demand for dental and ophthalmological services this year,” commented Lim Hye-min, CEO of Creatrip.