Sarawak medical tourism is growing as the state advances healthcare travel through partnerships, research, and strategic marketing to attract global patients.
Wellness and medical care services have grown to be an important element of the healthcare and tourism industries, both of which are expanding rapidly around the world. Historically, people from developing countries frequently came to wealthy countries to receive sophisticated medical care. The trend reversed in the early 1990s as global transportation networks expanded rapidly. Low-cost airlines accelerated this shift by making air travel more affordable and convenient, particularly in Southeast Asia, which is primarily made up of archipelagic states.
These advances, along with easier travel access, fuelled the global growth of medical tourism, a subset of niche tourism in which people travel outside of their country for medical treatments while also engaging in tourism or leisure activities, either directly or indirectly.
Sarawak drives medical tourism growth in East Malaysia. Kuching, which is strategically located near Brunei and the Kalimantan province of Indonesia, as well as the future capital of Indonesia, makes it a popular destination for medical tourists from both countries. Sarawak’s advantages in the medical tourism sector include ease of communication due to its multiculturalism and ethnic diversity, accessibility via airports and land transport, transparent pricing, affordable lodging provided by various global hotel chains, a warm tropical climate, and friendly and hospitable locals, among others.
Several global healthcare brands continue to build hospitals in Kuching, while leading players such as Borneo Medical Centre, Normah (Medical Specialist Centre), KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital, and Sunway Fertility Centre @ Kuching serve medical tourists across the region.
Sarawak’s medical tourism sector is set to grow steadily. However, there is a lot that needs to be thought about and done to put Sarawak on the world map in this highly competitive and credence-in-nature market. Strong regional competition from medical care providers in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand drives this challenge. Rising medical inflation and supply chain costs, worsened by global geopolitical tension, further pressure the industry.
A lack of market research and data in the region remains a major gap that limits Sarawak’s competitiveness.
Way Moving Forward
Since Sarawak has a lot of potential in the medical tourism market, policymakers and other important stakeholders, such as medical service providers and relevant government agencies, need to strategise and consider various strategic initiatives to make this industry more appealing and ensure Sarawak’s market relevance.
As this industry is still growing in Sarawak, stakeholders that are directly or indirectly involved in it should consider the following strategies to differentiate themselves from their competitors in the region:
- Establish close and intact collaborations with key government agencies and professional associations to promote Sarawak medical tourism on the international healthcare travel market.
- Collaborate with universities and related research institutions to conduct more study on existing and potential groups of medical tourists to better understand their needs, motivations, and impediments to visiting Sarawak for medical reasons. More research should focus on hospitals and destinations to better understand Sarawak’s level of competitiveness in this market.
- Establish facilitation or one-stop centres to help medical tourists and their carers/companions with scheduling, visa processing, and logistics.
- Pursue strategic partnerships among the hospitals, airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and relevant parties that could offer medical travel packages that combine accommodation, healthcare, and tourism activities.
- Develop strategic and inclusive marketing strategies within state tourism agencies, hospitals, industry players, and destination marketing organisations (DMOs) to enhance the destination brand and create appealing advertising messages that attract global medical tourists.
As medical tourism competition intensifies, Sarawak’s marketers and healthcare providers must sharpen their strategies to stay competitive and relevant. This element is especially crucial for Malaysia and Sarawak, where medical tourism is viewed as a promising industry that contributes significantly to the national income. In this aspect, it is critical to highlight Sarawak’s distinctive selling points.
These primary benefits would enable Sarawak to position itself as a future medical tourism gateway that is associated with natural and unique destination attributes such as rich cultural heritage, virgin rainforests, and a wide variety of wildlife. Sarawak’s unique culture and natural attractions position it as a strong, preferred destination for medical tourism in Southeast Asia.
Professor Cham Tat Huei is a Professor of Marketing at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus. He is recognised among the world’s top 2% scientists, an honour awarded by Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier. He can be reached at [email protected]