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Hospital business: Asian countries have become leaders in tourists' appeals to doctors
Russian tourists abroad are increasingly facing serious health problems. In the first half of 2026, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Turkey accounted for the most requests for medical care. Among the causes are poisoning from exotic foods, injuries during recreation, animal and insect bites, as well as diseases typical of tropical countries. Experts told Izvestia what dangers most often lie in wait for travelers and why even a relaxing vacation can end in hospitalization.
What problems do tourists face?
In the first six months of 2026, one in six insured travelers needed medical care. Insurance companies note that tourists most often turned to doctors because of the effects of rest in unusual conditions. The reasons ranged from digestive and respiratory problems to injuries and complications after active entertainment.
According to Rosgosstrakh, the largest number of requests was for trips across Russia. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Turkey have become the leaders in the number of insurance claims among foreign destinations. China, Egypt, France, Spain and Italy followed with a slight lag.
For example, in Thailand, tourists most often sought help due to food poisoning (14%) and the consequences of encounters with local fauna (12%). So, several vacationers suffered after being bitten by monkeys. One woman needed hospitalization after she stepped on a poisonous fish while swimming. A 70-year-old man suffered burns after contact with a jellyfish.
In the first half of 2026, Russian tourists often sought help after being bitten by animals, Artyom Iskra, managing director of Renaissance Insurance, confirmed.
"Dogs have been bitten in Indonesia, Thailand, India and Vietnam,— he said. — In China, the insured was scratched by a monkey, after which she needed a rabies vaccine. A special category includes cases at seaside resorts — encounters with marine life that can lead to injury or toxic reactions, as well as insect bites.
In Vietnam, travelers most often encountered food poisoning and colds. A 35-year-old tourist was attacked while on vacation in Nha Trang, he was injured. And for tourists in Indonesia, injuries after an accident have become one of the most common reasons for going to the doctors. In Italy, a 32-year-old tourist suffered several fractures while skiing.
The press service of Alfa Insurance told how a tourist from Russia suffered multiple leg fractures and chin injuries in Indonesia as a result of an accident. The treatment cost almost 2.5 million rubles.
What are tourists sick of?
Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and India were among the top 5 countries where Russian tourists most often sought medical help due to poor health, experts from the Consent company said. Only 10.8% of visits to the doctor end with an examination without further treatment — in other cases, therapy is required.
For example, a 42-year-old tourist contracted Dengue fever in Phuket due to a mosquito bite, Rosgosstrakh shared. The disease was accompanied by high fever, severe pain in muscles and joints and required medical attention.
The maximum share of requests for medical help this year was in Thailand, which accounted for 32% of the total. Complaints of gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory infections are prevalent in the country. Egypt is in second place with 24% of requests.: Respiratory diseases such as acute pharyngitis, nasopharyngitis and bronchitis account for 14% of them. Turkey closes the top three with 15% of cases: tourists in this country are more likely to complain of respiratory diseases and pain in muscles and joints. The UAE accounts for 5.8% of requests, while India accounts for 5%.
Travelers face non-communicable gastroenteritis and colitis, infectious diarrhea, and acute upper respiratory tract diseases. They accounted for more than 22% of cases with established diagnoses.
"The explanation is simple: in hot countries, food spoils quickly, and local water and unusual spices irritate the stomach, causing upset even without infection," said the deputy director of the Department of Personal insurance Settlement at Consent. — Acute respiratory viral infections occur due to sudden temperature fluctuations when tourists enter air-conditioned rooms with a temperature of +35 degrees. The vessels of the mucous membrane sharply narrow, as a result, the blood supply decreases.
Skin problems complete the list — about 7%. Among them are sunburn, dermatitis, allergies and reactions to insect bites, Artyom Iskra added. On trips not related to beach holidays, the situation is different. Colds and ENT diseases account for about 31% there, but injuries are less: about 12%. Skin reactions and unspecified conditions such as fever are noticeably more common than at sea (10-11% each), while intestinal infections fade into the background (less than 5%), which is logical for countries with more familiar food and water.
Natalia Zaitseva, head of the Department for Medical insurance and cooperation with service companies at RESO-Garantia, said that one of the tourists was hospitalized with an acute myocardial infarction during a trip to Sweden. The insured sum was 40 thousand euros.
However, despite the high prevalence of gastrointestinal infections, travelers continue to actively book trips. According to ATOR, the demand for tours to Turkey, Egypt and Thailand, where July is a low season, is growing. The share of those wishing to travel to the UAE decreased by 2.4% compared to last year — after the spring events, travelers are getting used to the destination again. India didn't even make the top 10 this year.
Why do tourists get into trouble
When a person gets sick at home, he knows where to turn for help, said Olga Kuptsova, Deputy Director of the Methodology and Underwriting Department of Rosgosstrakh Personal Insurance.
"The situation abroad is completely different: an unfamiliar country, a different language, an unusual healthcare system and often very high prices for medical services," the expert noted. — Of course, it is impossible to completely eliminate the risks, but before traveling it is worth studying the country's peculiarities, observing basic precautions, making the recommended vaccinations in advance, if necessary, and taking care of financial protection.
When traveling, a person finds himself in an unusual environment, which is why the brain is constantly forced to adapt. This temporarily reduces concentration and increases the risk of accidents, Maria Todorova, a family and neuropsychologist, explained to Izvestia.
According to her, the climate, the rhythm of life and the level of physical activity are changing. In such conditions, a person acts without the usual behavioral patterns that help avoid mistakes in a familiar environment.
An additional factor is psychological relaxation. On vacation, people reduce their internal control, feel more free, and more often underestimate the risks: they agree to new types of activities, try unusual entertainment, and make spontaneous decisions. According to the expert, this is a natural reaction to a change of environment.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
