The First Negrense Beauty, Health and Wellness  just finished up. It was held in Bacolod City and  started on April 23 to and ended  April 26, 2009. The show highlighted the beauty, health and wellness industry in Bacolod and to promote the province as a viable medical tourism destination in the Philippines. The event was organized by the Office of Bacolod Councilor Jocelle Sigue, the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and the Spa Association of Negros Occidental.

Medical Tourism is now part of the annual Oman Travel Mart, Oman’s International Trade exhibition for tourism and travel. The Oman Travel Mart opened at the Oman International Exhibition Centre last February 17 and will be open to the public until February 19, 2009.

It is the first time for Medical Tourism to be featured in the exhibition which also showcases the following segments of travel & tour: Inbound and Outbound Tourism, Property & Investment Opportunities, Hospitality & Travel, Education Tourism and Software Solutions.

Among the Medical Tourism companies that participated in the exhibition are: Bangkok Hospital Medical Center, the International Medical Specialty Centre, Steps National Company and the Sri Ramchandra Hospital.

The country is now promoting medical tourism because it sees the sector as a segment with the greatest potential for growth in tourism in 2009. This is due to the rising costs of healthcare in the West and the global economic downturn that pushes people from developed nations to seek medical care from foreign countries.

The Managing Director Nick Hodge of OITE (Oman International Trades and Exhibitions), the organizer of OTM, cited the growing popularity of Malaysia, Singapore and India in attracting foreign patients seeking for superior yet affordable healthcare.

Related site : http://www.oite.com/otm/index.php