GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — With projected growth of the global medical and dental tourism market expected to hit between US$45 billion and US$65 billion annually within the next decade, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says work is under way to position Jamaica to bite off a chunk of that nascent niche market.

The market is now valued at US$10 billion to $15 billion per year, and Bartlett sees it as yet another way in which tourism can help drive economic growth.

“Popular destinations like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Turkey are taking full advantage of this burgeoning market, combining major savings on expensive procedures such as implants and crowns with their vacation. Jamaica is uniquely placed to capture this significant slice of the pie,” the minister said during the Jamaica Dental Association (JDA) 62nd annual convention held at Princess Grand Jamaica in Green Island, Hanover, last Thursday.

Jamaica’s highly qualified professionals, he said, will play a big role in placing the country in an advantageous position.

“We have the geographic proximity to major North American markets. We have the world-class hospitality infrastructure, but most importantly we have the talent. The high standards of training and ethical practices that the JDA has maintained for nearly a century mean that our local dental fraternity can compete with the best anywhere in the world,” argued Bartlett.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer, Bartlett highlighted the importance of putting in place the requisite infrastructure for medical health tourism. It is part of a wider push, dubbed Tourism 3.0, aimed at reshaping Jamaica’s tourism sector by modernising the way the industry operates, making it more efficient, inclusive, and accessible to a wider range of investors and stakeholders — particularly small operators and creative entrepreneurs.

“When we talk about the retention of the dollar, a lot of people believe that it is all about the hotels, and it’s about whether the hoteliers pay you more or leave more money here in the banks. The wealth of tourism is in the supplies — the things that we offer to the visitor to consume when they are here. Health is a big part of that consumption pattern, and dental health is equally critical in this regard,” Bartlett explained.

He pointed to the importance of collaboration in the areas of infrastructure and financial access.

“We are going to be focusing heavily on working with the Ministry of Health, working with the health professional organisations and the banks to look at how we could put together talent, resources, and capital to build out a strong dental tourism — in one instance — but many other elements of health that are so critical. An important point for us is also that dental tourism is an outcome, but dental health security is another critical outcome,” stressed the minister.

“We need to give that assurance to our visitors that, ‘If you come here — and God forbid that you should need — but yes, it is here and you will be dealt with, and we do have the infrastructure to enable you to get whatever restorative or other kind of remedies that are required for your dental ailment. We have it here in Jamaica and you can have it — and have it at an affordable price. And also that we are connected to the international financial system that allows you to pay for it in the digital way or any way that you wish,’” added Bartlett.

His invitation to collaborate with the tourism ministry in the promotion of health tourism appears to have the support of JDA President Wendy Chuck-Francis whose more than a quarter century in dentistry includes a six-year stint at big name resorts.

She views the idea as an opportunity for JDA members to provide patients with the best care possible.

“We would like to partner with the minister to ensure that whatever we require — whatever upgrade, whatever technology that is required — to ensure that we deliver top-class and A-class and the gold standard in dentistry, that we have an option to do so,” said Chuck-Francis.

“We are ready, and we also have partners, member dental surgeons who lecture abroad, and they also are willing to put proposals forward as to how we can work to incorporate dentistry in health tourism, generally speaking,” she added.

Chuck-Francis pointed to challenges such as high interest rates that are hurdles in accessing the financing needed to purchase top of the line equipment, as she noted that Jamaica’s reliance on imported equipment is the source of many challenges within the industry.

“During the minister’s speech he spoke about the Ex-Im Bank, and I think that is an excellent way to ensure that we can enter and partner with the banks, because the interest rate is what is a grave deterrent most of the time,” Chuck-Francis argued.