How London became the new fertility capital of the world

Fertility tourists are flocking to the city for egg donor services and IVF, lured by the more liberal attitudes and lower prices over here, reports Charlotte Lytton

- Charlotte Lytton

WHEN Elena Gauci decided to pursue IVF, one thing was non-negotiable: the destination. “London was my first choice,” says Gauci, who travelled from her native Malta to the UK in March for fertility treatment — and turned her trip into a holiday at the same time. “We didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, and we wanted to be tourists as much as we could. So we did a lot of shopping, went out to eat, went to shows and went sightseeing.”

Gauci’s visit puts her among the rising number of fertility tourists who travel for treatment as a result of the cost, politics or availability in their home countries. This global market, valued at £322 million in 2021, is predicted to grow by some 30 per cent by 2030, boosted by a rise in cases of infertility (up to 80 million, according to the World Health Organisation). A trend of delayed pregnancy means that the need for assisted conception is up too, with London among the places looking to stake their claims as fertility tourism capitals.

It is perhaps a less obvious choice, given the cost here is typically about £10,000 per round of IVF — double that in Spain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Greece. But London “is a great place to send patients to,” says entrepreneur Abhi Ghavalkar, who has created a fertility concierge service for that very purpose. Milvia arranges medical appointments, accommodation and airport pick-ups for those travelling to London for egg freezing. It also offers tailored add-ons like sightseeing excursions on non-treatment days, flights on airlines clients are already enrolled in loyalty programmes with, and varying levels of luxury depending on budget.