How Southeast Asia became a medical tourism hotspot
REPORT
11 Apr 2024
How Southeast Asia became a medical tourism hotspot

Southeast Asia has emerged as the next hotspot for medical tourists seeking high-quality, affordable healthcare and luxury wellness experiences. The region's integration of traditional and modern medical practices attracts millions to its unique blend of treatment, recovery, and vacation.

Dervla Louli

Dervla Louli is the founder of Compare Retreats, the booking advisory and publication for the world's leading luxury wellness retreats described by Forbes as the 'bible of the best fitness and wellness retreats the world over'. She has been recognised as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and has been featured in The Sunday Times, Vogue, Tatler, and Bloomberg for her work in the wellness travel tech sector. She has shared insights at industry events for ILTM, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC. Dervla has a Masters of Finance degree from Trinity College Dublin and a business and law degree from University College Dublin. She is a contributor to Vogue and a certified yoga teacher.

Arifin Kwek Zhi Bin

Mr Arifin Kwek has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, covering operations, marketing, and business development. Before joining AsiaMedic in June 2022, Arifin was the managing director of Lifescan Imaging Centre and Lifescan Medical Centre, which are subsidiaries of Singapore Medical Group (SMG) and was responsible for managing the diagnostic imaging and health screening business of SMG. Arifin also served as senior vice president of SMG, during which he was responsible for the group’s patient, physician, insurance, and corporate networks. Prior to that, Arifin held the positions of director of operations at International Cancer Specialists and senior manager for Corporate Marketing at Parkway Hospitals Singapore. Arifin holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Australian National University. He also attended Harvard Medical School’s Southeast Asia Healthcare Leadership programme.

Sarah Wei

Sarah Wei is a journalist and producer based in Melbourne and Hong Kong, with a focus on the travel, lifestyle, and arts and culture sectors. She has produced over 35 talks and workshops with 120 speakers, three large-scale 5-day events, over 20 community events,  one VR/AR exhibition, and more than 150 published features and stories across the region.