TUNISIA: Cosmetic surgery tourism brings hard cash to Tunisia

At a health spa in the Tunisian capital Tunis, a group of European tourists are being pampered as they enjoy various treatments and facilities including thermal baths, full body wraps and body polishes and scrubs. Already a popular sun-and-sea destination boasting ancient ruins, European tourists are now starting to flock to Tunisia for medical tourism as the country begins to diversify away from the traditional beach market. Aside from offering health spas and health farms, Tunisian doctors are now offering cosmetic surgery and many tour operators and travel agencies are selling package holidays which can also include extras such as breast implants, tummy tucks and a sea view. "Plastic surgery in Tunisia began a number of years ago because of the medical advances, especially in the private sector. There are many tourists that come [to Tunisia] in the summer and some of them have medical conditions and after they are treated in Tunisia they notice that the standard of medical care here, especially in the private sector, is high," explained surgeon Nazar Mahjoub, who specialises in cosmetic surgery. "They then start to think about having some plastic surgery done in Tunisia as it costs much less than in Europe," he added. Sandra Angelini, who is in Tunisia to carry out a surgical procedure, says that the North African country is the ideal location to carry out cosmetic surgery. "I chose Tunisia first of all because it's one of the most beautiful places in the world and without a doubt as opposed to italy, the prices are much lower," she said. The tourism industry has grown into the former French colony's top foreign currency earner and the biggest employer after the farming sector. The north African country received 6.4 million holidaymakers last year, bringing in 2.56 billion dinars ($1.98 billion). "The travel agencies came up with the idea of combining tourism with plastic surgery. The surgeries mainly take place in the winter when the resorts are less crowded and hotel prices are reduced. They (the travel agencies) offer them an all inclusive price which includes flights, visas, accommodation and surgery," explained Mahjoub. Just a short flight from Europe, Tunisia has one of Africa's most developed health infrastructures, skilled medical staff -- many of whom have trained in Europe and the United States -- as well as the traditional tourism attractions. But it is arriving late on the medical tourism scene. The industry has taken off in many developing countries in the last 10 years as the price of cosmetic surgery in Europe and the United States soared. For example, in Europe, former communist countries in the east are luring western customers with cut-price cosmetic surgery and dentistry. Tunisian health industry officials say the country can catch up fast by offering low prices. Breast enlargement costs around 2,600 euros in Tunisia including the travel. The surgery alone costs double that in many western European countries. The industry is still small -- some 200,000 people have plastic surgery in France each year, while Tunisia drew just 500 foreign tourists for surgery last year, 80 percent of them French -- but expectations are high that the industry will continue to grow.

ITN Source | December 19, 2006

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