The 2026 Medical Tourism Report: One Million Patient Inquiries — Findings from the Bookimed Platform

From a Kyiv startup to over one million patient inquiries across 30+ countries — a data-driven look at where patients are going, what's driving demand, and what the numbers say about the next phase of medical tourism.

Bookimed surpasses one million patient inquiries. 2026 platform data shows booking value up 28%, with U.S. patients leading demand. Full report.

Authors and Medical Reviewer

• Lead author: Anna Leonova — Medical Content Creator at Bookimed since 2014. Certified medical writer with over ten years of experience. Master's in Philology from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Developed Bookimed's editorial standards and has interviewed medical experts across the platform's global partner network.
• Research and co-writing: Kateryna Zamkovska — English Medical Content Writer and Researcher at Bookimed. Three years of experience specializing in dental procedures and plastic surgery. Master's in Clinical Psychology from the Ukrainian Catholic University. Certified in medical writing (PV Drug Safety Academy) and content optimization (Surfer Academy).
• Medical reviewer: Dr. Yan Matsiievskiy, OB-GYN — Medical Editor at Bookimed. Four years of clinical practice, with internships at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and in Slovakia. Has guided more than 3,300 patient cases at Bookimed, with a focus on cross-border plastic surgery patients.
• Editorial standards: Bookimed follows Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines for YMYL content. All clinical claims are reviewed by a board-certified physician. Statistical findings draw from confirmed patient bookings and are cross-referenced with peer-reviewed literature where applicable.

Executive Summary

Five key findings:

1. Bookimed has surpassed one million patient inquiries since its founding in 2014. More than 170,000 inquiries came in the most recent twelve-month period alone — reflecting sustained, year-round demand across dozens of procedure categories and source countries.
2. Platform booking value grew approximately 28% year-on-year — the strongest single-year expansion in the company's eleven-year history. Total gross merchandise value reached $22.1 million.
3. U.S. patient demand climbed roughly 30% year-on-year, making the United States the single largest source market for the eleventh consecutive year. The U.K. followed at +37%.
4. Thailand was the fastest-growing destination. Booking value rose more than fivefold — driven by post-pandemic capacity recovery and expanded Asian medical-tourism corridors. Turkey continued to dominate overall, drawing roughly 62% of platform booking value.
5. Cross-border demand is widening beyond the historical US/UK/DE base. Australia (+88%), France (+132%), Canada (+39%) and Germany (+33%) all outpaced the platform average. A long tail of emerging corridors across Eastern Europe and South America signals that the addressable market is broadening geographically.

Methodology

This report is based on patient bookings facilitated through the Bookimed platform across more than 30 destination countries. Booking-value growth rates compare the most recent twelve-month period against the prior twelve months. The one-million-inquiry milestone reflects cumulative patient requests submitted to the platform from 2014 through mid-2026.

Figures represent gross merchandise value (GMV) — the total value of medical services booked through Bookimed's network of partner clinics. Bookimed operates on a clinic-paid commission model and does not mark up patient-facing prices.

Patient origin is determined by country of residence at the time of booking. Destination is the country in which the procedure was performed. Currency conversion uses end-of-year U.S. dollar rates. The dataset includes confirmed bookings only. Cancellations and refunds are netted out.

1. The Milestone: One Million Inquiries

Since launching in 2014, Bookimed has received over one million patient inquiries — requests for treatment information, cost comparisons and clinic recommendations from individuals considering medical care abroad.

The pace has accelerated. In the most recent twelve-month period, the platform processed over 170,000 inquiries — roughly one new patient request every three minutes. Eleven years of organic growth, multi-language support in 12+ languages and a steadily expanding clinic network across 30+ countries have produced one of the more detailed single-platform views of cross-border patient demand available to researchers and policymakers.

For context: industry estimates from Patients Beyond Borders place total global medical-tourism market volume in the $74-92 billion range annually, with single-digit historical growth. Platform-mediated demand has consistently grown faster than the overall market.

2. Source Markets: Where Patients Are Coming From

The United States accounted for the largest share of cross-border medical bookings — with booking value up roughly 30% year-on-year. The United Kingdom followed at +37%, bringing the combined U.S. and U.K. share to more than $5 million.

Western Markets: Mature but Accelerating

All six Western-tier markets grew faster than the platform average of 28%. The pattern is consistent: cost differentials and access pressures across the developed world are still widening, not closing.

A 2020 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health estimated that comparable procedures abroad can cost 30 to 70% less than equivalent care in the United States. Wait times add to that pressure: NHS England reported elective treatment waiting lists exceeding 7 million people in late 2024.

Australia stands out — up 88%. Australian patients face growing wait times for elective dental, orthopedic and plastic-surgery procedures, and Asian destinations such as Thailand are within reasonable flight range. France more than doubled, reflecting rising EU demand for procedures in Turkey and Spain.

Emerging Corridors: Early but Fast-Growing

The percentage growth rates are striking, but the absolute base is small. These are early-stage corridors that may scale over time, not current core markets.

3. Destinations: Where Patients Are Going

Turkey received the largest share of inbound platform bookings — roughly 62% of total booking value. Its strength is concentrated in three procedure clusters: hair transplantation, dental restoration and cosmetic surgery.

Turkey: The Established Hub

Turkey's 14% growth sits below the platform average, but scale explains its dominance. Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir together host the majority of partner clinics. Patients consistently cite three factors: solid medical infrastructure, lower labor costs than Western Europe, and short flight times from European and Middle Eastern source markets.

Thailand: The Year's Breakout Destination

Thailand's booking value rose more than fivefold — the largest single-destination growth rate on the platform. Three factors drove it: full post-pandemic capacity recovery in Bangkok and Phuket, a shift in demand from Australia and other Asia-Pacific markets, and sharp growth in metabolic procedures (GLP-1 protocols and bariatric surgery).

Spain, South Korea, Germany, Mexico: Steady Second-Tier Growth

Spain (+35%) anchors European medical tourism for reproductive medicine and oncology. South Korea (+40%) leads in cosmetic dermatology and aesthetic procedures. Germany (+21%) is the go-to destination for advanced diagnostics and complex oncology. Mexico (+22%) serves U.S. patients primarily for bariatric surgery and dental care.

4. Procedure Landscape

Four categories drove platform growth:

• Hair transplantation — a consistent top-three category by volume. Concentrated in Turkey, with growing share in Thailand and India.
• Dental restoration — multi-unit implants, full-arch reconstructions (all-on-four, all-on-six) and cosmetic veneering. Turkey, Mexico and Thailand each hold meaningful share.
• Cosmetic surgery — rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation and gynecomastia. Higher average booking values and longer recovery stays than dental or hair categories.
• Metabolic and bariatric — the fastest-growing category by percentage. Includes gastric sleeve and bypass surgery, as well as medically supervised weight-loss programs involving GLP-1 medications administered at destination clinics.

Higher-acuity categories — oncology, reproductive medicine, neurology, orthopedics — contribute meaningful volume at lower booking counts because of their higher average case values.

5. What's Driving Cross-Border Demand

The Cost Gap Is Widening, Not Closing

In the United States, healthcare price inflation has consistently outpaced general CPI through the 2020s. Many elective procedures — dental, cosmetic, fertility — remain partially or fully out-of-pocket. The price gap between a U.S. procedure and the same procedure in Turkey, Thailand or Mexico has widened in absolute dollar terms. The same dynamic is visible in the U.K.

Wait-Time Pressure in Public Systems

NHS England elective waiting lists peaked above 7 million people in late 2024. Comparable pressure exists in Australia, Canada and parts of the EU. Patients increasingly evaluate cross-border options as a time-to-treatment decision, not only a cost one.

A Shifting Demand Profile

Metabolic and weight-management demand grew sharply. And a younger demographic — patients in their twenties and thirties booking cosmetic procedures — now represents a larger share of category volume than in prior years. The addressable market is growing in both directions: more procedure categories and more source countries.

6. What This Means for Stakeholders

For Patients Considering Treatment Abroad

Cross-border care is no longer a niche option. With over 170,000 patient inquiries on a single platform in a single year, the patients crossing borders include mainstream working-age adults, retirees and middle-income families. Medical-tourism platforms now take on much of the logistical work that once discouraged patients — checking clinic accreditations, arranging consultations in the patient's language, coordinating travel and aftercare. Patients should still independently verify accreditation (JCI, ISO), surgeon credentials and recovery infrastructure before booking.

For Domestic Healthcare Providers

Cross-border platform growth is a competitive signal that does not appear in domestic statistics. Patients lost to cross-border options simply never entered domestic booking funnels. Providers should benchmark price transparency and wait times against cross-border alternatives.

For Insurers and Employers

Medical travel benefits are an increasingly viable lever for self-insured employers. The 30-70% cost differential produces material savings even after travel and coordination costs.

For Policymakers and Researchers

Single-platform datasets offer near-real-time visibility into cross-border patient flows. Researchers can request access through Bookimed's research-collaboration channel.

7. Key Takeaways

• Bookimed has surpassed one million patient inquiries since 2014, with over 170,000 in the most recent twelve-month period — one new request every three minutes.
• Booking value grew 28% year-on-year, materially faster than the broader medical-tourism market.
• U.S. patient bookings led source-country growth (+30%), with the U.K. close behind (+37%).
• Western markets beyond the US/UK — Germany, Canada, Australia, France — all outpaced the platform average. Emerging corridors posted triple-digit growth from small bases.
• Turkey holds 62% destination share. Thailand, Spain, South Korea, Mexico and Germany all posted material gains.
• Metabolic and bariatric procedures emerged as a category-level growth driver alongside hair, dental and cosmetic.
• The cost gap between U.S. domestic and cross-border care has widened — supporting continued demand expansion.

How to Cite This Report

Bookimed Research Desk. (2026). The 2026 Medical Tourism Report: One Million Patient Inquiries — Findings from the Bookimed Platform. Bookimed Press Office. Available at: https://us-uk.bookimed.com/b2b-article/2026-medical-tourism-report/

Press inquiries: Hanna Radivilovska, Bookimed Digital PR & Partnerships — h.radivilovska@bookimed.com