colombiareports.com —Bogota will construct a medical tourism center at a cost of $19 million, reported economic paper Portfolio Monday. The construction of the Bosque Beauty Garden Hotel & Medical Center in Bogota aims to boost the country’s health and beauty tourism, the builder told Portfolio. Cosmetic surgery will be a major part of services offered, with five-star accommodation for visitors alongside shops, green space and conference rooms. The project is expected to begin next March and is the result of a partnership between the spa company Altos de Bosque and construction company Ricam. The health center and adjacent hotel will cover 52,000 square feet. The complex with be the first of its kind in Colombia and aims to satisfy the reportedly growing demand for health and beauty tourism. According to the Medellin-based cluster group of Medicine and Dentistry and the Cali Chamber of Commerce, 18,000 people sought out health tourism in 2010. Ten thousand of those people were foreigners, mainly from Curacao, Aruba, Suriname, the United States and Spain. According to Colombia’s Trade Ministry, the most popular treatments sought by visitors are heart surgery (41%), general surgery (13%), gastric band surgery (10%), plastic surgery (10%), cancer treatment (6%), orthopedic treatment (4%), dental care (2%) and eye care (1%).