Well-Being Travel Conference Launches in 2012 in Arizona

September 26, 2011

As medical travel becomes more and more prevalent, events serving that sector are starting to pop up, including the Well-Being Travel Conference next year in Arizona.

The conference will be held June 21-23 at the The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is being sponsored by Well-Being Travel, a resource for the niche medical travel market.

The three-day event, according to organizers, is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees from around the world, including key representatives from medical facilities, hospitals, dental facilities, spa/wellness facilities, insurance companies, tourist boards, travel agencies and travel providers.

"This conference will place medical representatives face-to-face with travel sellers who are already established as a travel distribution channel and who already have clients that are traveling around the world on spa and wellness trips," said Anne Marie Moebes, executive vice president of Well-Being Travel.

She added, "While there are a variety of medical travel events being offered in the marketplace today, none has yet provided a solution for a strong distribution system that effectively reaches the patient traveler. This meets a gap in the market and fulfills an unmet need - bringing together all the key players for the greatest benefit of patient travelers."

Here is what Moebes said the distribution system should include:

travel sellers who are already booking all types of travel for their dedicated clients

destinations that want to promote their countries to medical travelers

hospitals and doctors who provide the procedures and pre/post medical care

travel industry suppliers who need to understand what products and services this special market segment needs

Speakers from medical and travel organizations will focus on the highly specialized corporate side of medical travel with in-depth discussions.

"The various elements of the leisure travel industry are quickly finding themselves in the medical travel business,” David Boucher, MPH, FACHE, president and chief operating officer of Companion Global Healthcare.

He added, “… Well-Being Travel has (done) its homework over the past three years to build a 'best in class' solution."

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