Cancún’s Health Tourism Boom Attracts Canadians

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Cancún stands out among destinations registering growth in health tourism during the first half of the year, thanks to the increasing connectivity of its airport. This has contributed to a 22 percent increase in the influx of Canadian patients to Mexico and a 38 percent rise in service requests.

Factors Driving the Boom in Health Tourism

According to Andrés Jurado Viera, president of the Medical Tourism Commission of the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex), this upward trend is estimated to continue for the winter season.

He considered that the policies applied by the administration of Donald Trump towards Canada have led many citizens to seek a second destination for medical tourism. Traditionally, he said, their first option was the United States, considered almost an extension of their own health system; however, given the climate of hostility they perceive towards their community, they are now opting for Mexico, not only as a vacation destination but also to receive medical services.

According to the firm Tourism Economics, visits by Canadians to the United States have fallen more than 20 percent so far this year and by 25.2 percent in July alone.

Expo Strengthens Health Tourism in 2025

Jurado Viera, who is also the director of My Medical Vacations, explained that patients are primarily seeking plastic surgery, dentistry, and orthopedics procedures. In Cancún, more and more cases of joint surgery related to chronic degenerative conditions that the Canadian system cannot resolve quickly are being treated.

“That is why many of them, who previously went to the United States, are now discovering that here the medical quality is of the same level, the services are superior, and the savings are much more considerable,” he stated.

Although deeper measurements are still needed, an increase in Canadian visitors in the sector is perceived, not only in Cancún but also in Mexico City and Guadalajara, which represents an opportunity to generate recurring clientele.

As an example, he pointed out that a dental implant in Cancún costs between one thousand and one thousand two hundred dollars, while in Canada or the United States the same procedure can reach between three thousand and four thousand dollars, with materials of equal quality.

Benefits for the Tourism Industry

At the end of 2024, this segment received more than 20,000 patients, generating an estimated economic impact of 200 million dollars. Medical tourism, he highlighted, is an essential travel segment, which also benefits the tourism industry through longer stays and greater demand for ground transportation.

With the goal of strengthening ties between the tourism and medical sectors, the third edition of the Expo Turismo Health & Wellness Cancún 2025 will be held this Monday, seeking to consolidate the destination as a hub specialized in medicine, wellness, and integral tourism.

Finally, the event will feature more than 100 exhibitors, including clinics, insurers, technology providers, and tourism services, in addition to a program of networking, presentations, and conferences, with the expectation of gathering between 500 and 600 attendees.