I wish to extend my congratulations the various government agencies and private entities that have worked hard together to promote Medical Tourism in the Philippines.

Studies estimate that annual health care expenditures in Asia alone exceed US$390 Billion, while the worldwide market is an astonishing US$3 Trillion per year (Rodolfo, 2005). As a relative newcomer in this lucrative space, the Philippines needs to display market excellence and innovation to remain agile in the face of competition from more seasoned players like Thailand, India and Malaysia.

In order to achieve this excellence, cooperation is needed from the participants in this unique confluence of the health and tourism industries, so that we all can craft a united, efficient solution to address the challenges ahead.

Hospitals, health professionals, resorts, spas, travel agents and other companies must realize that a complex activity like Medical Tourism can be done properly
only with everybody doing their share.

With the holding of the First Philippine Medical Tourism Congress, Expo and Grand Launch, significant steps are taken to aggregate our country's health and tourism providers and present them to the world.

With this we create a compelling argument to tourists from Asia, the US, and the rest of the world: the Philippines is the next premier destination for Medical Tourism.