Many tourists every year decide to visit Costa Rica attracted by a number of different reasons: the excellent weather, beautiful beaches, healing nature and the warmth of its people; but there is another reason that has gained popularity in the past years and it’s medical tourism.

Costa Rica is one of the preferred destinations for medical and dental tourism, and among the many different procedures visitors come looking it is the branch of esthetic medicine that continues to grow in followers year after year.

The industry of esthetic medicine has experienced a 20% annual growth; this obeys to the combination of price-quality offered in the country, which could represent savings of between 30% to 80% when you compare it to prices in the U.S.A., and with a very high level of quality, since 80% of Costa Rican professionals in the branch of esthetic medicine have further prepared abroad.

The fact that Costa Rica is a stable economic and politic destination is also another reason why so many foreigners choose it as the perfect place to visit and get their medical procedures done.

Currently two private Costa Rican hospitals have the accreditation by the Joint Commission International which confirms they provide services with a level of quality offered in the U.S.A. Meanwhile, a total of 25 clinics are certified by the North American authorities.

Medical centers and dental clinics receive an average of 10 to 15 new patients every month, with dental esthetic services being the most requested service, and among cosmetic surgery procedures the most popular ones continue to be: face and eyelid lift, liposuction and breast augmentation, lift or reduction, according to a study done by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office; which also signals that globally over 14 million people travel every year to get medical or dental treatments.

An estimated 50 thousand foreigners traveled to Costa Rica last year to get medical or dental treatments, and in average they spend close to $7 thousand USD, not taking into consideration the expense generated by the person accompanying them.

Projections point to the growth of this industry in the upcoming years.

The actions to promote the country as a medical tourism destination have been oriented towards guaranteeing the compliance of international quality standards and patient security.

The Flikier Dental Institute in Costa Rica is a perfect example of a dental clinic that offers complete services to the patients with high quality standards, English speaking staff, and international certifications.