Wellness tourism continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, according to the 2014 Global Spa and Wellness Economy Monitor. The report notes that wellness tourism grew by 12.7 percent in 2013, surpassing 2012’s growth rate of 9 percent.

Puerto Rico on Tuesday presented its strategy for promoting itself as a medical tourism destination, especially among the Hispanic population of the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States.

As the world’s population ages, non-communicable diseases continue to rise in frequency and healthcare costs inflate at an alarming rate, the issue of creating a healthcare destination that provides a high quality service for far less cost has never been more pressing.

Jamaica’s Health Minister Fenton Ferguson urged the private sector to join government strategies to promote health tourism, according to official sources.

Florida lawmakers are considering a measure to allocate $5 million annually in state funds to add medical tourism to the list of state attractions. The money would go to promote a combination of hospitality and medical care to people from places both domestic and foreign, including the Middle East, the Caribbean and Europe.

The Caribbean region can boost its bottom line by developing a medical tourism product that takes advantage of its brand as a great vacation destination, its proximity to North America as well as its tourism facilities.