The Philippines could attract more medical tourists if it could reduce the cost of air travel, improve air links, cut airport fees, build a transport infrastructure, improve tourist safety and security, deal with consumer concerns about the quality of healthcare, market better, and decide what niche it can target. So says the latest official report on medical tourism. Bearing in mind that the government has had initiatives, research groups, marketing forums and a bewildering history of official organisations since as long ago as 2004, a report that brings up the same answers as previous ones goes a long way to explain why inbound medical tourism has a long way to go in the Philippines. A key part of the problem is that politicians have long been proclaiming the Philippines as a top Asian medical and health wellness destination; but, believing their own rhetoric that they have done little to promote medical tourism. The report points out that the country could claim to be a leader if it had a million medical tourists, two million health and wellness tourists and 200,000 healthcare seeking retirees. The reality is that numbers are very much below these, and that the local medical tourism industry lacks direction. The harshest comments raise issues about standards of healthcare: “Poor health outcomes, combined with poor regulatory mechanisms, and uncoordinated government effort, contribute to the country’s low competitiveness.” Will this wake-up call make any difference? Or will the country continue to talk a lot about medical tourism but with no effective action plan? The report from the Asian Institute of Management says that medical tourism can only become a viable growth strategy in the Philippines if a progressive health system; developed physical infrastructure and stable political environment are present. For years, the government has been promoting the country as a medical tourism destination. The AIM study lists several challenges to achieve this goal. The first is the high cost of travel to the Philippines because of the lack of direct flights to and from target markets in North America, Europe and Northeast Asia. High airfares and numerous airport fees not implemented elsewhere also increase the cost of travel to the country. The second challenge is the lack of transport infrastructure. This deters medical travelers used to trains, buses and other organized systems of transportation. Further investments in airports, highways and organized transportation systems are needed to solve this problem. The third challenge involves security and safety concerns. Worries about peace and order force prospective medical tourists to choose other destinations. Poor health outcomes, combined with poor regulatory mechanisms, and uncoordinated government effort, contribute to the country’s low competitiveness against its competitors. Also, with the brain drain of doctors and nurses migrating to greener pastures, those who are left are new graduates working to gain experience. The fourth challenge is the development of a market niche. The various groups involved with promoting medical tourism are engaged in yet more talks about how to solve the problems and promote the country.