Abstract:
Medical tourism occurs when an individual travels across borders to seek medical treatment, whereas
wellness tourism is associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s well-being. This
includes rest, disease prevention and management, and lifestyle enhancements. Medical tourism has two
components: inbound and outbound, with an estimated global industry size of $100 billion and a market
growth rate of 10-20% per annum. In East Africa, research evidence suggests that an addressable market
size of more than $175 million could be generated from medical tourism alone. Ethiopia has significant
competitive advantages to become one of Africa’s most preferred and leading medical tourism destinations
within the next 5-10 years.
