Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Latvia, Markets and Companies, Medicine, Tourism

The alliance's board member and CEO at Health Center 4 (Veselibas centrs 4), Maris Revalds told LETA that most health tourists visiting Latvia last year were from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Scandinavian countries, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Lithuania and Estonia.

The most popular services with health tourists include checkups, specialists' advice and diagnostics, phlebology, infertility treatment, traumatology and orthopedics, plastic surgery and dermatology, dentistry, and ophthalmology.

Most of health tourists last year were from Russia, said Revalds.

"While the total number of tourists from Russia fell 31% in 2015, the number of Russian patients at our clinics rose 10%. Residents of C.I.S. countries, including Russia, appreciate the transparent pricing policy – in Latvia prices are available to the general public, and the prices for local residents are the same as for foreigners. Just as in the past years, about half of foreign patients come to Latvia from Western Europe and Scandinavian countries, and the other half from C.I.S. countries," said Revalds.

Most say they chose to come to Latvia because of convenient transport to Riga, safe environment, and modern healthcare services for prices that are three to seven times lower than prices in the capitals of Western Europe, Scandinavia, and also Russia.

According to Revalds, the development of healthcare services in Latvia, availability of latest medical equipment and quality services are all in Latvian residents' interest. In addition, health tourism to Latvia also means that more healthcare specialists wish to stay and work in Latvia.