On 19 January, ANZCham facilitated a strategic engagement between Clinique de Paris, a highly regarded ANZCHAM member, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the investment arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), to explore opportunities to strengthen the Philippines’ medical and wellness tourism sector.
Present at the meeting were leading voices in the field: Dr. Rafael Fortus and Ludovic Branellec of Clinique de Paris, Dr. Paulo Benito S. Tugbang, Director for the Health and Wellness Tourism Program and concurrent Director for Product Development at the Department of Tourism, and Atty. Karen Mae G. Sarinas-Baydo, Assistant Chief Operating Officer for the TIEZA-TEZ Management Sector. Representing ANZCHAM were Ina Azarcon, Director of Operations, and Katherine Ynzon, Marketing and Events Lead.
The discussion focused on identifying potential strategies to promote medical tourism in the Philippines, with particular attention on positioning the country as an attractive destination for the Australian market, leveraging Australia–Philippines travel flows and growing demand for high-quality healthcare experiences.
Leveraging its network of partner clinics, hotels, and transport providers, Clinique de Paris, through this engagement with TIEZA, aims to collaborate on coordinated, sector-wide initiatives that enhance the visibility, credibility, and accessibility of medical tourism offerings in the Philippines.
The meeting opened the door to innovative ways to elevate the Philippines’ medical tourism landscape, bringing together private sector expertise and government-led investment and promotion efforts that are intended to strengthen the Philippines’ positioning as a world-class yet cost-competitive destination for medical and wellness travelers.