2023

Medical Tourism in Egypt

Tourists come from all over the world to try different types of tourism, but archaeological and historical tourism are the most important for all tourists.

If I go to another country, the first thing I will go to is a historical or archaeological place like a temple, museum, or pyramids here in Egypt. Although tourist places are important, there are types of tourism that are no less important than archaeological places, for example, safari and desert tourism or beach and river tourism. Therapeutic tourism is a very specialized tourism, especially in Egypt, as it is considered one of the most important sources of tourism income in Egypt, and this tourism depends on several places such as springs, wells, and natural reserves. One of the most famous types of medical tourism is sand therapy, and in many other countries, but in the Arab world there are few countries, and the most famous Arab countries for medical tourism are Egypt and Jordan, which contain great sulfur springs, sand, and many other things.

Medical tourism through history

In ancient eras

Medical places have been recognized since ancient eras, as the pharaohs were the first to discover natural treatment methods, especially in the wells and springs in Egypt, which were visited by Greeks, Sumerians, and many nearby countries.

The ancient Greeks knew medical tourism, where they used treatment in hot springs or mineral waters, and their god of medicine was Asklepios, to whom they built many temples with baths that they used for treatment.

After that, the Roman Empire came, and they were very interested in medical tourism, as they established baths in several of their countries, especially in Egypt, where they developed in this field and paid great attention to it.

Middle eras

After the downfall of the Roman Empire, Asia became the centre of medical tourism, where temples were converted into hospitals, but the cost was high, as treatment was limited to the rich until the Islamic civilization came and established places for health care, where people came from Europe to Egypt to use the healing baths and other places of medical care.

Modern eras

After the United States became one of the most important centres for medical tourism, it and some countries in Europe, and also these types of tourism, were limited to rich people, as it costs thousands to travel to Europe, and the most important countries were England and Germany.

a natural source of medical tourism

Egypt has hundreds of natural springs and wells with mineral and sulfur water, with many of these natural springs and sands, such as Safaga sands, as well as natural herbs and plants, as Egypt has many elements of medical tourism in many cities and regions, such as Helwan, Safaga, Aswan, and other cities.

Why is medical tourism important?

Medical tourism is one of the most important components of the state, whether in national income or tourist attraction to Egypt, as it has existed in Egypt since the era of the pharaohs, as it affects the health sector in Egypt, as it provides hard currency and provides job opportunities, as you can come for tourism and treatment together, so medical tourism is one of the necessary things in Egypt.

There are two different types of medical tourism, which is tourism for healing in hospitals and public places, and there is another type called hospitalization, which is in natural places and sulfur springs. Egypt is one of the countries that are characterized by this type of tourism.

popular places for medical tourism in Egypt

Sinai

Sinai is one of the most beautiful tourist cities in Egypt, as it has mountains and deserts, so it specializes in the presence of water springs in various places such as Oyoun Moussa and Wadi Al-Maghara.

Marsa Alam and Marsa Matrouh

These two cities are two of the most wonderful beach cities in Egypt that tourists visit annually; for example, in Marsa Alam, there is the village of Bernis, which is important because it helps to recover from bone pain, skin diseases, and many other diseases, and it also helps to give you the activity to do your daily life.

Bahariya oases

The Bahariya Oases are found in the Giza Governorate, and it is an important oasis, as it has many archaeological sites, temples, and tombs, in addition to safari tourism and medical tourism, where the Bahariya Oases contain hundreds of natural and sulfur water springs, as it is considered one of the best and most wonderful health resorts in the world, thanks to the mild climate throughout the year.

Safaga

Safaga sand is an important and wonderful place for medical tourism in Egypt and is special because it includes many important radiological elements that help to cure diseases such as psoriasis and some infections, in addition to the gold salts found inside this sand.

The most interesting aspect of sand therapy is the method of the treatment itself, where the body is buried in the sand, but the head is outside the sand and remains for 3 hours, and in this way the body benefits from the elements contained in this sand.

Siwa oasis

Of course, Siwa is one of the most important Egyptian oases that tourists go to with the aim of medical tourism, as it contains wells and springs, which makes it a special place to spend some time among the wonderful oases and also do hospitalization.

There are several places for medical tourism, like Ain Kigara, which helps to heal bone and skin diseases, thanks to the sulfurous water found there, and there is also a salt cave that helps improve physical and psychological health.

There are also other sites in Egypt that have springs and wells and are considered important places for medical tourism, such as the city of Ain Sokhna, which contains many natural springs that help cure many diseases.