Tunisia's Mediterranean Medicine

While South Africa is well on its way to becoming the continent’s medical tourism darling, another very popular destination for tourists in the northern corner of Africa is eying up the medical tourism market.  Tunisia, which already draws tourists to its Mediterranean climate, coast, and culture, is reportedly making moves to become a medical tourist hub in its own right.

"There is a growing European fad for plastic surgery in Tunisia. It could become a hub for medical tourism," said Slim Ben Yeder, manager of the Soukra Clinic in Tunis. "A traditional tourist spends between 300 and 400 euros during his stay," Yeder said.  "But a medical tourist spends 2,500 to 4,000 euros at least." 

The medical tourism industry in Tunisia is still in its infancy.  While literally hundreds of thousands of people travel to places like Thailand, India, and Singapore each year for medical treatment, Tunisia reportedly drew just 500 international tourists for surgery, mainly cosmetic procedures, in 2005.   

Yet with one of the continent’s best medical infrastructures and prices for medical procedures that are significantly lower than that of the U.K. or the United States, the country does have potential.   

It’s not as if Tunisia is a stranger to unique medicinal attractions.  Thalassotherapy, a sort of homeopathic treatment involving seawater developed in France in the 19^th century, is very popular in with tourists and Tunisians alike, especially along Tunisia’s coast.  Now, the same Mediterranean waters that are the balm of the French are now the main ingredient in Tunisia’s treatments.   

Thalassotherapy comes in many shapes and sizes; its applied as showers of warmed seawater, application of mud or algae-derived paste, or the even the inhalation of sea fog. Spas in Tunisia make hot seawater and provide mud- and seaweed wrappings. 

Traces of chemical elements found in seawater, are believed to be absorbed through the skin, supposedly relieving the effects of hypertension, bonchitis, muscle atrophy, and athritic symptoms.  Yet while the medical benefits of thalassotherapy have yet to be scientifically proven, the treatment is undoubtedly relaxing.    

Plus, another big bonus is that Tunisia has everything that an adrenaline-soaked adventurer or wandering sightseer could want: several affluent cities, ancient souks, spartan fishing villages, and the knifeblade Atlas Mountains.  All that and the fact that Tunisia is a short plane or boat ride away from any number of Mediterranean destinations.    

Sure, Tunisia has a long way to go when it comes to being a medical tourism destination to compete with the big players, but every country has to start somewhere and with everything else that Tunisia offers, it probably won’t take it long to catch up.