The January/February issue of ‘African Business’ reported in a survey that 250,000 people from Libya, Africa, Algeria and sub-Saharan Africa travelled to Tunisia in 2009 for medical tourism. The survey said 70 percent of the patients came from Libya, 12 percent came from sub-Saharan Africa including Cote d’lvoire, Senegal, Mali, and Burundi. Westerners represented 18 percent of the patients, and they came to Tunisia for cosmetic surgery, including plastic surgery.
The survey notes that medical tourism has become a significant source of currency for Tunisia, accounting for 5 percent of the country’s export services. It represents 24 percent of the turnover at private clinics, amounting to about 175 million Euros. Tunisia’s positioning close to the West, the high level of Tunisian plastic surgeons, and the relatively lower cost of surgery compared to Europe explain its attraction as a medical tourism destination. A spokesman of the Tunisian Federation of Travel Agents in ‘African Business’ said breast augmentations or liposuction are 40% to 50% cheaper than in Europe.
