Cissa Group is shifting its focus from traditional resorts to health and wellness developments in Phuket. With medical tourism expected to recover quickly once the island reopens, this move allows the company to accommodate demand in an underserved area.
“Phuket will be the first location to welcome foreign tourists as it is a top global destination and is preparing to reopen in July after mass vaccinations,” Khun Autthanop Pandkamnerd, Cissa Group CEO, explained to the Bangkok Post. “One of the first groups to return will be medical tourists, with an estimated spending per person of THB80,000-THB120,000.”
He noted that overseas demand for health and wellness developments in Phuket was fragmented as people from different countries had much different requirements. For example, visitors from China and the United States were more interested in beauty clinics while European travelers gravitated towards wellness facilities.
The developer is hoping its newest project, Natai Medical Center & Resort, allows it to cater to a diverse range of medical tourists. The massive hospital and luxury resort project is a joint venture with plastic surgery specialists V Plast Medical Group. It believes medical tourists from China, Australia and Europe will be among those interested in visiting.
According to Cissa Group, the first phase of the development will open in 2022. Natai Medical Center & Resort isn’t actually located on the island of Phuket, but near Na Tai beach in Phangnga. It will take 30 minutes to reach the facility from Phuket International Airport.
While this is the first foray into health and wellness developments in Phuket for Cissa Group, it is no stranger to real estate on the island. The firm’s flagship project is Wyndham Naiharn Beach Phuket, an impressive condotel that provided buyers with both a holiday home and investment property.
Operated by respected hospitality brand Wyndham, the development is close to Nai Harn beach in southern Phuket. It boasts a wide range of resort amenities in addition to a sleek design that creates calm, relaxing spaces. Wyndham Naiharn Beach Phuket welcomed its first guests earlier this year.