Medical tourism: The communication challenge for long-term trust

Medical tourism on the rise

In the post-pandemic era, the global healthcare industry is transforming. What was once a predominantly treatment-led sector is evolving into an integrated service ecosystem that spans diagnostics, prevention, wellness, recovery, and travel. Patients are increasingly willing to cross borders in pursuit of quality, affordability, and holistic health experiences. Medical tourism, in this context, has moved beyond a niche offering.

Across Southeast Asia, medical tourism has emerged as a strategic growth sector. Countries such as Thailand and Malaysia have already positioned themselves as global healthcare destinations, supported by long-term national branding and marketing campaigns that align healthcare excellence with hospitality, cultural warmth, and international standards of care.

“For governments across the region, medical tourism represents more than a revenue stream. It is an instrument of national soft power,” said Associate Professor Giannina Warren, Senior Program Manager for Professional Communication at RMIT University Vietnam.

Vietnam, with its rapidly modernising medical sector, growing private healthcare investment, and competitive cost advantages, has set its sights on becoming a leading medical tourism hub in Southeast Asia. With reported medical tourism revenues exceeding US$850 million in 2025, annual growth of around 18 per cent, and an ambition to reach US$4 billion by the early 2030s, the sector’s economic potential is clear.

“What remains underdeveloped is a communication strategy capable of matching these ambitions,” said Associate Professor Warren.

Unlike its neighbours, Vietnam has not yet made a comparable investment in strategic marketing, international storytelling, or reputation-building for medical tourism.

“The central challenge lies in how Vietnam communicates its healthcare value proposition to international audiences, and, crucially, how it builds and sustains long-term trust in an environment where healthcare decisions are deeply personal and reputational risk is high,” the RMIT academic said. 

Building trust: standards, service, and the story behind them

Medical tourism spans a wide spectrum of services from preventative health checks, dentistry, and cosmetic procedures to complex interventions such as oncology, orthopaedics, and chronic disease management.

Vietnam already has strong medical capacity, and in many areas its expertise is comparable with others in the region. Achievements such as advanced organ transplantation, IVF success rates, robotic surgery, and complex clinical procedures demonstrate real progress and professionalism within the system.

These are important foundations. However, according to RMIT Professional Communication lecturer Dr Bui Quoc Liem, they are most often communicated as individual success stories rather than as part of a clear, recognisable national narrative about Vietnamese healthcare.

Dr Liem pointed out that one of the most widely recognised global benchmarks for hospital quality is JCI (Joint Commission International) certification, which is often described as the gold standard for patient safety and clinical governance.

Thailand now has dozens of JCI-accredited hospitals, which has helped reinforce international confidence in its healthcare system. Vietnam currently has fewer than ten JCI-certified hospitals, mainly in the private sector.

In 2025, for the first time, a Vietnamese public hospital achieved JCI certification. “This is a very positive sign. But to make a meaningful impact on international perception, this progress needs to be communicated clearly and scaled over time,” Dr Liem said.

At the same time, trust in medical tourism is shaped not only by clinical standards, but also by service experience. Thailand has been particularly effective in this area, positioning many of its hospitals as “five-star” healthcare environments. International patients are greeted with multilingual staff, streamlined administration, concierge-style support, and comfortable recovery spaces, an approach that frequently goes viral on social media and reinforces the idea that medical care can be both professional and humane. These stories travel far, shaping perception well beyond official marketing campaigns.

Why communication matters as much as capability

According to Associate Professor Warren, medical tourism requires a much higher level of trust than leisure travel. Patients are not just choosing a destination; they are choosing where to place their health, and sometimes their lives. This is why communication plays such a critical role.

“At present, international audiences often struggle to find reliable, official information about Vietnamese healthcare in one place. Information is fragmented across hospital websites, social media, news articles, and informal forums. This creates uncertainty, even when the underlying medical quality is strong,” she said.

Rather than relying on isolated announcements or promotional messages, RMIT academics believe Vietnam has an opportunity to develop a more joined-up communications approach, one that brings together regulation, accreditation, service standards, and real patient stories into a clear and accessible national narrative. Transparent information about certifications such as JCI, published outcomes, patient pathways, and aftercare can significantly reduce hesitation and build confidence over time.

There is also a strong opportunity for collaboration. International hospitals, private healthcare providers, and service operators could work more closely with the Ministry of Health to develop a shared communications framework for medical tourism.

“This would move the sector away from ad hoc reporting toward a coordinated strategy that builds trust among local patients, highlights Vietnamese success stories, and presents the healthcare system in a way that international audiences can easily understand and trust,” said Dr Liem.

Moreover, generic claims about affordability or quality are no longer enough. International patients are persuaded by stories they can relate to and verify: patient journeys, medical teams, recovery experiences, and evidence of care before and after treatment. When supported by transparent clinical data, published success rates, and recognition from international bodies, these stories become powerful trust-building tools.

Associate Professor Warren highlighted that digital channels – from hospital platforms to telemedicine consultations and online pre-assessments – now allow these narratives to reach global audiences long before travel decisions are made.

“Done well, this shift from advertising to storytelling strengthens Vietnam’s healthcare reputation, enhances its soft power, and supports the broader tourism economy by positioning the country as a place that welcomes visitors and takes responsibility for their wellbeing,” she said.

“Ultimately, the future of medical tourism in Vietnam will depend not only on clinical capability, but on how confidently and coherently that capability is communicated to the world.”

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