On April 29, the Guangzhou International Medical Tourism Service Center was officially launched, featuring resources from 17 municipal pilot hospitals for international medical services, as well as the full industrial chain advantages of Lingnan Group in culture, business, tourism and exhibition.
Statistics show that Guangzhou received over 3.2 million inbound foreign visitors in 2025, witnessing a rapidly rising demand for foreign-related medical and healthcare services.
During the launching ceremony, the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission unveiled 12 innovative measures to bolster the development of international medical services. The policy package supports wholly foreign-owned hospitals to introduce renowned international medical brands, encourages high-level hospitals to launch specialized international outpatient departments, and accelerates the promotion of innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
It also aims to enhance diagnosis and treatment capabilities for difficult and complex diseases, build clusters featuring advanced therapeutic technologies and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, and facilitate international accreditation for medical institutions to standardize service quality and technical application.
Two specialized supporting institutions have been established to strengthen the management of international medical tourism services.
Led by the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, the Guangzhou International Medical Quality Control Center serves as a professional institution for quality management and technical guidance in the international medical sector. It formulates and implements full-process quality standards, technical specifications and evaluation systems, and carries out quality control training, technical guidance, supervision, inspection and quality monitoring, delivering reliable medical safeguards for patients.
Meanwhile, the Guangzhou Hospital Association has founded the International Medical Service Management Branch to coordinate pricing mechanisms, unify service standards, promote industry self-regulation, and build a high-quality and efficient service system.
The Guangzhou International Medical Tourism Service Center provides full-cycle services covering pre-arrival, in-city and post-departure stages. Its service scope includes pre-arrival visa assistance and remote preliminary consultations, in-city translation, accommodation and catering support, as well as postoperative rehabilitation follow-ups and remote medical tracking.
Guangzhou will further unlock new consumption momentum by deepening the integration of medical resources with health tourism and urban consumption. The city will connect with hot spring and forest health preservation bases in Conghua and Zengcheng districts, and incorporate Lingnan characteristic services including traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy and medicinal diet conditioning to develop innovative integrated products featuring “medical treatment, health preservation and tourism”.
Multiple commercial insurance institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have reached preliminary consensus with pilot hospitals on streamlined commercial insurance payment for international medical services, consolidating insurance support for cross-border healthcare.
The newly launched service center has signed strategic cooperation agreements with 17 pilot hospitals and relevant state-owned enterprises. The partnership builds a collaborative model of “professional hospital diagnosis and treatment plus comprehensive platform services” to foster a sound industrial ecosystem for international medical tourism.
Moving forward, Guangzhou will deepen cooperation with medical, insurance, cultural and tourism institutions in Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia and across the globe. The city will also continuously optimize multilingual service platforms, diversified payment systems and standardized service procedures to make cross-border medical services more accessible and efficient.
Reporter | Zhou Hongdou
Editor | Yin Juewen