ATEC leads charge on medical tourism in Dubai

Matt Hingerty, CEO of the Australian Tourism Export Council  told The Mole today in an exclusive interview that ATEC is committed to leading the charge to attract medical tourism into Australia, by attending next week’s Arab Health Conference in Dubai.

While the world largest health conference, attended by 40,000 delegates will cover the technical issues around health, there is also a huge tourism section, with some countries such as Germany with massive and very expensive stands.

Matt told The Mole, “I just think that Government here has failed to realise this is potentially a vast market for us in Australia and they have also underestimated our market advantages of clean air and water and above all, superlative medical care, which other countries, which lead this sector simply do not have.”

He added, “I have met with several state organisations and they are not interested, so perhaps this is where the private sector has to take over and drive this.” 

“Also the State Governments have not realised if we do not get into this area, others are and will and while that is bad for tourism, it will also will absorb doctors and nurses from our health system to go to well paid jobs elsewhere.”

“I am calling this a mission because that it what it is, a mission to find out what we need to do to secure our share of this highly lucrative market, one which will boost our private hospital system and create more highly valuable jobs in the medical world, which has to be good for all Australians.”

“I am aware that the Gold Coast and Victoria and a NSW Minister will be attending, but that I am told is from a medical perspective, not tourism.”  “NSW State and Regional Development and Austrade have been great in supporting us, but not tourism, which is very interesting “.

“I am hoping we will come back well informed enough to produce a report, which will provide the catalyst for all levels of Government and the private sector to get involved in this business which a recent survey says could be worth $5billion to $7billion to Australia.

“To help put this sector in perspective, Dubai alone is building 40 new hospitals and Singapore is investing $S2billion, so asking the question, where is Australia in this business is very appropriate at this time.”

“We simply cannot afford to ignore a major sector like this that will take up what we believe is reasonable unused capacity in the private medical sector and quite simply create more tourism jobs.”

The Mole looks forward to reading ATEC’s report post the visit and also to hearing how the States will react – perhaps in New South Wales the report will simply disappear into Parliamentary and Ministerial oblivion just like the John O’Neill report into the future of tourism in New South Wales!

A Report by The Mole