History of Health and Wellness

Tourism
Chapter 2
 Topic Outline
8000 B.C.- 80 B.C.

1st- 3rd Century A.D.

17th- 20th Century

21st Century

Philippines (Pre-Spanish Period - 20th

Century)
Health tourism or traveling for health reasons is
said to be actually thousands of years old.

Based on history, the impetus for health travel

varies. Man travels to nd cure for sickness, to
prevent ailments, to discover the secrets to
becoming more beautiful and youthful, to satisfy
one’s sense of spirituality or to simply relax.
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 8,000 B.C.- 80 B.C.

Archaeological evidences show that human

activity existed around natural springs.

It was believed that they could be bathing or

simply fetching water for drinking purposes.

Most ancient civilizations recognized the

therapeutic effects of mineral thermal springs
and holy temple baths.
The following are some of the earliest civilizations:-

The Sumerians (circa 4000 BC) constructed the

earliest known health complexes around hot
springs. These healthcare facilities included royal
elevated temples with owing pools.
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During the Bronze Age (circa
2000 BC), hill tribes in what is
now known presently as St.
Moritz, Switzerland recognized
the health bene ts in drinking
and bathing in iron-rich mineral
springs.
The same bronze drinking cups
that they used were found in
thermal springs in France and
Germany.
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 Ancient Greeks
The Ancient Greeks were the rst to
lay a foundation for a comprehensive
medical tourism network.

In honor of their god of medicine,

Asclepius, the Greeks erected the
Asclepia Temples, which became
some of the world's rst health
centers.

People from all over, travelled to

these temples for their illness.
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 India

In India, the history of medical tourism was also slowly

unfolding with the popularity of yoga and Ayurvedic
medicine.

As early as 5000 years ago, constant streams of medical

travellers and spiritual students gathered to India to seek
the bene ts of these alternative-healing methods.
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 Rome
When Rome became a global power, several hot-
water baths and springs called thermae came into
existence and gained popularity among the elite.

These baths were not only healthcare facilities, but

became commercial and social networking centres
for the rich and the elite.
1st Century A.D.- 3rd Century
A.D.
In Roman Britain, persons suffering from
illnesses took waters at a shrine from the City
of Bath in England.

Chinese were known for traditional and

alternative medicine which includes
acupuncture and acupressure.
Medieval Period (Dark Ages)
With the downfall of the Roman Civilization,
Asia continued to be the prime medical tourism
destination for healthcare travellers.

Temples gave way to hospitals that provide

clinical services to travellers seeking healthcare.

These institutions are recorded in medical

tourism history.
In Medieval Japan, hot
mineral springs called
onsen popular due to their
healing properties.
The warrior clans took
notice of these springs and
began using them for pain,
heal wounds, and recover
from their battles..
In 1248 AD, the Mansuri
Hospital
located in Cairo

largest and most advanced

hospital in the world

Capacity 8,000 people,

became a healthcare
destination for foreigners
regardless of race or
religion.
 A village known as Ville d'Eaux or Town of
Waters, famous throughout Europe in 1326 when
iron-rich hot springs were discovered within the
region.
Prominent visitors like Peter the Great and Victor
Hugo visited these wellness resorts.
The word “spa, derived from the Roman term
“salute per aqua” or health through waters, was
rst used here.
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During the 16th century, the rich and the elite
of Europe rediscovered Roman baths and
gathered to tourist towns with spas like St.
Moritz, Ville d'Eaux, Baden Baden, Aachen
and Bath in England.

Bath or Aquae Sulis enjoyed royal support

and was famous throughout the world.

It became the center of fashionable wellness

 17th- 20th Century

In the 1720s, Bath became the first city in

England to receive a covered sewage system
and was ahead of London for several years.

The city also received technological, nancial,

and social bene ts.

Roads, street lights, hotels, and restaurants

were beauti ed – all because of Medical
Tourism.
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The most noteworthy traveller
in the history of Medical
Tourism was Michel Eyquem
de Montaigne.
He was the French inventor of
the essay, and father of luxury
travel.

He wrote the earliest

documented spa guide in
medical tourism history.
Native Americans in the New
World were skillful in the healing
arts.
Knowledge in herbal medicine
was exceptional and competitors
those in Europe, Asia or Africa.
During the 18th and 19th century,
several Europeans and
Americans continued to travel to
remote areas with spas and
health retreats hoping to cure
various ailments like
tuberculosis.
 1900-1997
the USA and Europe were center of the healthcare
world.
Medical travel was limited to rich who travelled to
these countries
During the 1960s, India became a destination of
choice
The ower child movement, which drew the elite and
socialites of America and the UK, eventually
developed into a fully- edged medical tourism
industry, with yoga and Ayurvedic medicine
rediscovered.
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Due to high cost of healthcare in the 1980s
and 1990s, American patients started
considering options, like dental services in
Central America.

Cuba started programs to attract foreigners

for eye surgeries, heart and cosmetic
procedures.
 1997- 2001

Due to The Asian economic crisis in 1997 and the

collapse of Asian currencies these nations took
efforts in marketing their countries as destinations
for international healthcare.

Thailand became the hub for plastic surgery, with

fees charged at a fraction of what Western
countries could offer.
In 1997 that the Joint Commission International
was formed to check and investigate international
healthcare facilities for conformance to international
standards due to the emergence of health providers
around the world

Thailand, Singapore and India became medical

destinations due to JCI accreditation.

Other Southeast Asian and Latin American

countries are emerging with JCI accreditation and
partnerships with prominent US-based health
providers.
Medical Tourism from 2001 to 2006
After 9/11 and the construction boom in Asia,
medical tourism continued its massive growth
with 150,000 US Citizens travelling to Asia and
Latin America in 2006.

During this time, the dentistry and cosmetic

surgery industries reached new heights in
these countries.
Medical Tourism in 2007 Beyond

The number of American medical tourists increased to

300,000 in 2007, the largest ever in medical tourism
history.
In 2008, several healthcare and insurance companies in
the US considered medical outsourcing.
These offered non-emergency procedures and surgeries
in other countries. Many are also considering foreign
medical procedures as part of a health plan coverage.
by 2010 procedures such as: face-lifts, bypass surgery
or fertility treatments got popular.
Philippines (Pre-Spanish Period)
Filipinos resorted to priestess-healers for medical
treatment.
Commonly known to the Tagalogs as katalonan, babaylan
among the Visayans, balian to Bicolanos, baglan to
Ilocanos and baylan to Mandayas.
The priestess-healers were later on replaced by men
known as “tawak”, who were believed to have been born
with the power of neutralizing snake poison and as “suhi”
who have the capability to remove sh bones from the
throat.
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Philippines (Pre-Spanish Period)
Herbal medicine was used by “herbolarios” which later
evolved to “albularyo”.

They have skills in concocting mixtures from various plants

and roots believed to have therapeutic or healing effects.

Psychic surgery or faith healing is also being practiced in

the Philippines. Although not legally recognized, this
practice is tolerated and has attracted international
attention.
 Spanish Period

Accordingly, mineral springs started to be

discovered and developed in 1855 in the
Philippines.

The so-called Sibul springs and health resort

was one of the rst big resorts.
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Sibul Nature Spring in Abucay, Bataan
 American Period
Researches were conducted during the period
1898-1935 on the therapeutic effects of
medicinal plants by the University of the
Philippines.

The Government laboratories later called the

Bureau of Science to conduct scienti c
studies.

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 20th Century
Re exology was introduced in the country.

Certain medicinal plants like castor oil plants and

coca plants were cultivated during the Japanese
occupation.

In 1973, acupuncture became widely practiced in

the Philippines.
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