Medical tourism consumption in Korea increased 5.8 times to 491.1 billion won in the first quarter of the current year compared to 84.15 billion won in the first quarter of 2019, driven by demand for K-beauty, with platforms such as MyReal Trip and Healing Paper expanding services for foreign patients.
This growth occurs despite a general slowdown in foreign tourist consumption, with the medical and wellness sectors contributing to an improved tourism balance. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2011,822 foreign patients visited Korea last year.
The Ministry projects continued growth in patient numbers, with 610,000 recorded in 2023, 1.17 million expected in 2024, and 2.01 million projected for 2025. Since 2009, the cumulative number of foreign patients has reached 7.06 million.
As demand for K-beauty medical care, particularly dermatology and plastic surgery, and wellness experiences rises, platforms are enhancing services for international visitors. These efforts extend beyond simple bookings to include interpretation, consultation, and on-site guidance.
MyReal Trip’s Lifestyle Expansion
Domestic travel super app MyReal Trip recently launched lifestyle categories focusing on beauty and wellness. The platform now allows users to explore beauty and wellness products in the same way they select existing travel products.
MyReal Trip applies its established criteria for verifying external partners in the travel sector to these new categories to ensure reliability. The platform recommends products based on user behaviour data to match personal preferences and purposes.
To mark the launch, a ‘beauty check-in’ promotion is running until the 20th of the month. This promotion covers pre-travel preparation and post-return recovery, featuring themed products such as:
- Scalp and head spa
- Aesthetic and spa
- Racing and massage
- Hair and makeup
- Seshin and sauna
- Eyelashes
- Nails
MyReal Trip intends to establish these new categories for domestic users’ daily care needs before gradually expanding the service area to include K-wellness experiences for foreign visitors to Korea. Data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab indicates that foreigner consumption in the beauty and health sector is projected to increase by 40.4% year-on-year in 2025.
An official from MyReal Trip stated, “Based on the curation capabilities accumulated in the travel sector, we will be able to provide reliable experiences in the lifestyle area. We plan to continue to develop services so that new categories can be experienced naturally within the existing service usage flow.”
Healing Paper and Sister Guide Developments
Healing Paper, which operates the global K-beauty medical platform Gangnam Sister, has also enhanced its support functions for foreign patients.
Gangnam University, managed by Healing Paper, has integrated an offline interpretation function into Unni Guide, its 1:1 support service for foreign patients seeking K-beauty medical care. This expands the scope of support from initial reservation assistance to hospital visits and direct on-site communication.
Sister Guide is designed to mitigate language barriers and information asymmetry for foreign patients, offering support throughout the entire process from selecting procedures and hospitals to making reservations. The service operates with both a counselling function and an interpretation service.
Hong Seung-il, CEO of Healing Paper, commented, “Sister Guide is evolving into a service that encompasses the entire process from the moment foreign patients first explore Korean beauty care to after visiting the hospital. The goal is to create a standardized K-beauty medical experience that can satisfy both patients and hospitals.”
Why this matters
Korea’s sustained growth in medical tourism, particularly in K-beauty, underscores the increasing demand for integrated, end-to-end patient support services. The expansion of established travel and medical platforms into comprehensive care pathways reflects a market response to the specific needs of international patients, moving beyond simple booking towards full journey assistance.
What to watch
- How MyReal Trip’s ‘beauty check-in’ promotion performs and whether it leads to expanded K-wellness offerings for international visitors.
- The specific uptake of Healing Paper’s enhanced offline interpretation services through Unni Guide and its impact on patient satisfaction metrics for K-beauty procedures.
The news signal for this article was referred from: https://www.mk.co.kr/en/culture/12048920