Daejeon City is set to fully embark on its journey into the global medical tourism market with the opening of its 'Medical Tourism Overseas Hub Center' in Manila, Philippines. Daejeon City and Daejeon Tourism Organization held an opening ceremony for the hub center in Manila on May 27th, followed by a medical tourism promotional briefing for medical institutions and agencies on the 28th.

The newly opened 'Daejeon Medical Tourism Overseas Hub Center' will serve as Daejeon City's forward base for attracting foreign patients. Its functions include: promoting Daejeon's medical services, attracting and counseling medical tourists, establishing a cooperative system with local agencies, and supporting post-care management.

The overseas hub center is strategically located near Manila's central business district, maximizing the efficiency of patient consultations and attraction activities. It also plans to focus on enhancing the brand awareness of Daejeon's medical services through marketing activities linked with the local medical tourism network.

Daejeon City publicly recruited institutions to manage the local operations through a public offering in March, and Living International Co., Ltd. was ultimately selected.

The opening ceremony on the 27th was attended by around 30 individuals, including a delegation from Daejeon City, local medical tourism stakeholders, and representatives of agencies, all solidifying their commitment to cooperation. Discussions to expand medical tourism exchange between the two countries continued through a signboard unveiling ceremony and a meeting.

Following this, the 'Daejeon Medical Tourism Promotional Briefing' was jointly hosted by Daejeon City, Daejeon Tourism Organization, and Living International Co., Ltd. Around 100 people, including local medical institutions and representatives from the travel and tourism industry, attended. Daejeon's key attracting institutions, including Living International Co., Ltd., Bareunsanga Hospital, and Pil Oriental Medicine Hospital, participated and introduced specialized programs for attracting Filipino patients.

With the opening of this overseas hub center, Daejeon City plans to discover new medical tourism demand through cooperative institutions in addition to existing key markets like Japan and Vietnam. It also aims to strengthen its entry into Southeast Asia, including the Philippine market, by diversifying foreign patient attraction channels, thereby aspiring to become a leading city in medical tourism.

Jeong Tae-young, Director-General of Daejeon City's Sports and Health Bureau, stated, "The opening of the overseas hub center is a starting point for actively promoting Daejeon's medical competitiveness in the Southeast Asian market." He added, "We expect positive ripple effects on the local economy through sustainable international medical cooperation and attracting foreign patients."

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