Puerto Vallarta Announces First Medical and Wellness Expo

By Juan Pablo Hernandez,

At a crowded press conference the details for the First Medical & Wellness Expo in Puerto Vallarta were announced. This event will be held at Plaza Caracol from September 25 – 27, 2009. Local promoter, Carlos Arceo, heads the organization of this expo that will feature the medical services in our local market provided by private companies. The importance of medical sector tourism was highlighted during the press conference, as members of this segment of the travel industry visit various countries around the world to discover professional medical services at a good price. The delegates, who are mostly retirees, represent about 220 million people in countries such as Canada, USA, France, Australia and New Zealand.

The organizers and confirmed participants in the expo believe that Puerto Vallarta has all the amenities to become a first rate medical tourism destination. It is the intention that people from throughout Mexico and around the world, could plan their stay in our city and undergo surgical procedures, specialized surgery, transplants, dental care, cosmetic surgery, and surgery to control obesity etc. Medical tourism generates an economic annual income of 10 billion dollars.

According to Dr. Max Greig who is already confirmed to attend the expo, Puerto Vallarta has experienced a big boost in medical services over the last decade. He has seen a growing trend of families who have come to our city only because one of its members had scheduled a medical treatment or procedure. Dr. Greig believes that the city of Monterrey in northern Mexico is currently a better organized “medical tourism destination,” so he feels that is important to work along with various institutions to promote Puerto Vallarta as a city with excellent medical facilities.