‘Fertility tourism’ predicted to rise as people travel for affordable IVF

An increasing number of hopeful future parents are heading abroad for cheaper fertility treatments. Photo / Unsplash

Travelling abroad for cheap cosmetic procedures or dental work is nothing new. For years, people have jetted across the world, not just for leisurely holidays, but to save tens of thousands of dollars on operations that fix their teeth, their nose, or, in a growing number of instances, their infertility.

That’s right. As the rates of infertility and cost of medical care in countries like the US increase, so will the ‘fertility tourism’ market, according to an industry report from California-based business consulting firm, Grand View Research.

The report, which analysed the market’s size, share and trends, predicted it would grow at a rate of 30 per cent over the next seven years. In 2021, it was already valued at $670 million.

As for where travellers are already heading, Barbados’ sunny weather and affordable fertility treatments have made it a globally recognized hot spot, Forbes reports.

Located on the coast of Bridgetown, Barbados, the Barbados Fertility Clinic has helped people conceive for 20 years. While the clinic offers several types of treatments, it confidently advertises itself as “The best IVF clinic in the world to help you get pregnant”.

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According to clinic director Anna Hosford, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), where a woman’s egg is fertilized with sperm outside of the body, and then implanted in her uterus, is their most popular treatment.

When the clinic opened in 2002, it completed 25 IFV ‘cycles’ in a year. In 2022, they completed more than 1000 cycles, according to Hosford.

However, egg freezing is the fastest-growing treatment in terms of demand, she added, as more couples delay starting a family until later in life when conception is more difficult.

For this reason, Hosford urges women in their early 30s to freeze their eggs as a kind of ‘insurance plan’.

“We have a huge amount of 44 to 47-year-olds who have the career but their eggs are too old,” she told Forbes.

Unsurprisingly, of the clinic’s 2800 consultations in 2022, most were from North America, with interest from American couples at a record high. In the last eight months, the clinic experienced a 27 per cent increase in inquiries from the US.

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As for why, cost offers a convincing reason. In countries like the US, a single round of IVF can cost around $40,000. In Barbados? It’s $10,500, a cost difference that, even after including the price of airline tickets and accommodation, is still significantly cheaper.

In New Zealand, the cost of an IFV round can be between $8,000 and $10,000 excluding expensive pre-treatment consults and appointments. Funding is also available for couples or singles who meet certain eligibility criteria.

Time is another advantage according to patients at the Barbados Fertility Clinic, with upwards of six-month waits in the US replaced by weekly wait lists in Barbados.

However, what may be the most compelling factor for hopeful future parents is the success rates; 67 per cent for IVF and 75 per cent for donor egg treatments. The high numbers are thanks to the location, according to Hosford.

“Part of the reason our success rates are so high is because we’re in such a beautiful place,” Hosford said.

Blessed with year-round warmth and removed from the stress of regular life, Barbados helps patients relax, which has proven benefits when it comes to fertility and sperm quality.

“The people who come to us are particularly stressed—they’ve tried and tried, done test after test, and nothing has worked,” Hosford told Fobes.

“They just need that time for each other, away from their work and families.”