Want to combine a facelift with a safari holiday? Surgeon and Safari, a medical tour operator in South Africa, will offer you a host of packages. It is these medical tour operators, rather than the government, who are pushing South Africa as a premier healthcare destination for Western tourists. Each month, Surgeon and Safari brings in at least 30 tourists who are either seeking cosmetic procedures or cosmetic dental treatment through tie-ups with major hospitals and hotels. South Africa has one disadvantage - even though cosmetic procedures in its hospitals cost a fraction of similar procedures in the US, it still cannot compete on price alone with countries like Thailand, Malaysia or India. It makes up for that by offering itself as a hot travel destination. And it focusses on those areas - cosmetic and dental surgeries - that appeal to the rich, ageing Western tourists.

Germany isn't known as a special healthcare destination, however, it is trying out a very interesting experiment, that too at the Munich airport. The Munich Airport Clinic has two surgery rooms and 13 beds. Patients from all over Europe fly into Munich, get tests or treatment done at the Munich Airport Clinic, and fly back often the same day. In fact, more than the country itself, the Munich airport has emerged as a well-known healthcare destination for international medical travellers.

The Cuban government has invested in hospitals, spas, speciality clinics and other facilities specifically for foreign visitors. Last year it earned over $250,000 from medical tourists.

Tour operators are also popularising Lithuania, Croatia, Greece and such other nations as excellent health tourism destinations. Lithuania is aiming for the cosmetic surgery market while the others are known more for their spas.

Meanwhile, Singapore has set up the multi-agency integrated initiative, SingaporeMedicine. This initiative aims to help corporate hospitals and government hospitals like the National University Hospital attract one million patients by 2012.