The organizers of the 6th. International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism, Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, president of the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS) and Amelia Reyes Mora, president of AF Comunicación Estratégica, announced the details of the agenda for the great event, which will be It will take place on November 1 and 2, 2023, at the JW Marriott Hotel, in Santo Domingo.
The meeting, which will have more than 40 exhibitors, is the most important scenario for medical tourism in Central America and the Caribbean, characterized by being a meeting of multisectoral leaders focused on innovation, investment, education, sustainable tourism, local public-private synergies and international business development and projects.
The opening remarks will be delivered by Dr. Daniel Rivera, the Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare. During the program, the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, will deliver a keynote speech on Innovative Strategies for destination positioning.
The agenda comprises multiple discussion panels that will cover topics including: Opportunities for Latin America to establish itself as a health tourism hub will be discussed, moderated by Dr. Javier Potes, the General Manager of the Mexican Hospital Consortium. The panelists will include Theodoro Constantinau, the General Manager of The Panama Clinic; Dr. Maria Fernanda Valencia Gamba, the Director of the International Office of Colombia, Imbanaco Clinic, Quironsalud Group; and Mario Lopez Salguero, the President of the Health and Wellness Tourism Cluster of Guatemala.
Challenges related to training and attracting human resources in the health and tourism sectors will be discussed. Amelia Reyes Mora, president-vice president of AF Comunicación Estratégica and the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS), will moderate the panel. The panelists include Dr. Rafael Lantigua, a medical specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University, and Dr. Roosevelt Fajardo Gómez, head of continuing medical education at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Additionally, the event will cover other topics such as the promotion of new health technologies with Fedor Vidal, CEO of Arium Digital Health as the moderator, and innovations to enhance patient experience in health and medical tourism sectors, moderated by Dr. Rodolfo Núñez Musa, Caribbean Health TPA Medical Director, Local Regulations and International Accreditations, with Bill Cook, Development Director of business and marketing of Global Healthcare Accreditation, as a speaker.
Furthermore, there will be a discussion of new wellness and retirement tourism prospects, moderated by David Llibre, President of the Dominican Republic Hotels and Tourism Association.
Additionally, Dr. Arnaldo Espaillat, the Medical Director of the Espaillat Cabral Institute will moderate the discussion on the Dominican Republic's healthcare offerings to the world.
It's worth noting the participation of Dr. Héctor Sánchez Navarro, who is the deputy director general of Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago and director of Full Meta, as well as several other prominent panelists.
This international congress aims to showcase the competitive advantages that the country possesses as a leader in tourism in the region. In its past two editions, it successfully brought together over 800 participants, around 70 local exhibitors, and more than 110 sponsors from various regions including Canada, Costa Rica, the United States, India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Spain, Colombia, the Caribbean islands, and beyond.
The Dominican Republic ranks as the primary medical tourism destination in the Caribbean, second in Latin America and nineteenth worldwide, per the Medical Tourism Index.
The International Healthcare Research Center conducts the Medical Tourism Index based on 41 criteria and three key dimensions: destination attractiveness, quality and safety of medical services, and patient experience, including costs, reputation, and culture. This includes costs, reputation, and culture.
