ABSTRACT
Background: This study seeks to evaluate the prevalence of and the association between receiving medical care abroad and the level of trust that citizens from the Western Balkans-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro-have in their healthcare systems. Method(s): The study is cross-sectional and was carried out during three months (July 25-October 30, 2021) through a self-reported questionnaire administered through the Google Forms platform. The study included approximately two-thousand citizens (N=2,356) aged eighteen (18) to seventy (70). Result(s): More than one-third (37.2%) of respondents stated that they or a relative had received healthcare services abroad during the last twelve (12) months. Citizens of Montenegro had the highest prevalence of receiving healthcare services abroad at 43.8%, followed by those from Bosnia and Herzegovina at 39%. No statistically significant difference was found in the level of trust in the healthcare system in the country between those who received healthcare services abroad (4.41+/-2.88) (out of 10) and those who did not (4.48+/-2.81) (t=-0.587, p=0.557). Conclusion(s): We ultimately conclude that more than one-third of the participants in our study have traveled abroad for healthcare purposes, with females, those living in urban areas, and those who have previously had a negative healthcare experience in their home country all being more likely to rely on health tourism.Copyright © 2023 Maljichi et al.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of research was to study practices, barriers, and solutions of Phetchabun health massage establishments under COVID-19 situation. Non-participant observation, informal interview, in-depth interview, and participation observation were carried out respectively. Purposive sampling was used with 15 health consumer protection officers in charge;11 district level, 2 provincial level, 2 regional level as well as each representative of 11 districts. Results after implementation of "Preparation Guidelines for Health Spa, Health Massage, and Beauty Massage to Promote Health Tourism During COVID-19 Pandemic" were categorized into two sections. Firstly, the practices, barriers, and solutions of government officer performances included preparation for reopening, monitoring of the provider practices, and performance report. Secondly, the provider operations consisted of doing "Self-Assessment of Health Establishment", logging-in webpage before reopening, and practices for clients included screening and report of patients under investigation, establishment monitor, service, and establishment cleaning. In summary, the preparation guidelines were purposed to reopen their business with numerous contents and messages written by official language, it caused establishment providers and practitioners difficultly understood when applying. LINE Application and making calls were easy and accessible methods for their communication to reach current data and to ensure exact information. Various encouragements and having compliments were also considerable to form trust and confidence among them, they also raised their proud.Copyright © 2023, World Informations Syndicate. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
PurposeIs humanity heading to immortal living? If so, what areas of society are playing an active role in achieving this? In order to understand this, the study explores the relationship between immortality and the wellness and medical tourism industry to seek potential relationships between them and ultimately, asks difficult questions about the growth of these tourism sectors and the potential need for greater regulation of them.Design/methodology/approachTaking a pragmatic philosophical approach and through the examination of refined information from secondary sources and published material and reports, the study presents original theoretical knowledge and a model exploring tourism and human immortality.FindingsThis paper argues that continued growth in the wellness and medical markets today could lead to a world where transhumanists and cyborgs are present in our world, even taking over from Homo sapiens. The study presents a model highlighting the potential role of wellness and medical tourism markets, illustrating the potential for future consumer services that could further fuel the search for immortality. Thus, how such markets and consumer desires are (in)directly supporting humanities desire for (non-human) immortal existence.Originality/valueToday, individuals are driven by wellness practices and medical and cosmetic desires and are willing to travel the globe in search of companies who are either capable of carrying out the desired procedures or seeking prices more affordable to them. This research offers novel insights into these complex relationships and maps the affiliation between wellness and medical practices and the concept of immortality.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper aims to examine whether medical tourism can be a frontrunner in terms of post-pandemic recovery for the industryDesign/methodology/approachA mixed-method analysis of 17 interviews and 210 questionnaires involving medical tourists to Iran was applied.FindingsMedical tourists perceived the risks posed by COVID-19 as a temporal one, and attitudes toward post pandemic visitation intentions remained strong. In addition, these tourists can mostly be classified into responsive individuals, who demonstrate not only high risk but also high efficacy levels to negotiate the threats posed by the pandemic. No gender differences were located between male and female medical tourists in terms of post-COVID-19 travel intentions to Iran.Originality/valueThis research extends the application of the risk perception attitude framework to a medical tourism context. Furthermore, medical tourists are uncovered as another segment of crisis-resistant tourists.
ABSTRACT
In less developed countries (LDC), health tourism can be seen as a way of specializing in tourism. Covid19 makes even more imperative the need to promote health tourism and also to link it to a greater extent to wellness tourism, thus responding to the current market requirements. The main objective of this study is to assess whether the current tourism offer in Senegal (LDC) could allow health tourism to be implemented. An ad-hoc study has been performed in Senegal's Coastal Region, where interviews directed at the socioeconomic agents and structured questionnaires have been developed, collecting information from the two populations: one sample of 21 private clinics and another of 31 hotels. The data obtained were analyzed following a descriptive analysis. The results indicate that it is possible the developing of wellness tourism, but not medical tourism. Even in the case of a laborintensive product, offering health tourism as a new tourist product requires more modern and sophisticated technological equipment © 2023,African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Inadequate access to public bariatric surgical services has favoured the growth of bariatric tourism. This study analysed data extracted from bariatric surgical centres that care for patients travelling from abroad. The research highlights apparent deficits in accreditation, communication, perioperative care, and travel health advice. An international registry of accredited bariatric tourism providers and patient education may be indicated.
Subject(s)
Bariatric Surgery , Medical Tourism , Obesity, Morbid , Humans , Tourism , Obesity, Morbid/surgery , TravelABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper explores medical tourism development challenges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pre- and during Covid-19. Medical tourism is becoming a dynamic, rapid growth area and an engine of economic development.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with medical tourism professionals. Fourteen medical tourism stakeholders were interviewed from 1 January to 31 January 2020. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied on medical tourism challenges before and during the pandemic.FindingsThe major themes indicated concerns for medical tourism in the UAE and they included higher medical services costs and a shortage of highly qualified medical expertise. The emerging themes related to the challenges of coping with Covid-19 and strategies to attract medical tourists.Originality/valueThis study contributes towards (1) the theory of medical tourism, (2) the related limited prior published work on this topic relating to the UAE and (3) the importance of medical tourism in today's tourism industry. Additionally, there are theoretical and practical implications for medical tourism stakeholders in terms of attracting inbound medical tourists to the UAE from other countries during the Covid-19 crisis and in the post-pandemic situation.
ABSTRACT
Ekonomik ve sosyal kalkınma çabalarında gelirlerin çeşitlendirilmesi önemli bir unsurdur. Bu çeşitlilikte önemli bir konumda olan sağlık turizmi, özellikle COVID-19 pandemisinin ardından, daha fazla tartışılmaya başlanmıştır. Bu sebeple ülkelerin alternatif turizm hizmetlerinde çeşitlilik geliştirmeleri de bu doğrultuda zorunluluk haline gelmiştir. Bu kapsamda, Türkiye'de büyükşehirlerin sağlık turizmi potansiyellerini karşılaştırmaya odaklanan bu çalışmada karşılaştırma kriterleri belirlenmiş ve bu kriterlerin ağırlıklandırılması çok kriterli karar verme yöntemlerinden CRITIC ile yapılmıştır. Elde edilen bu ağırlıklar ve kriter değerleri kullanılarak, 30 büyükşehir WASPAS yöntemi ile sıralanmıştır. Sıralama sonuçlarına göre Ístanbul, Antalya, Ankara, Ízmir ve Adana ilk beş sırada yer almıştır. Son sıralarda ise Hatay, Mersin, Mardin, Sakarya ve Şanlıurfa yer almıştır. Bu sonuçlara göre sağlık turizmi alanında bölgesel ve ulusal ölçekte rekabetçiliğe katkı sağlayacağı değerlendirilen stratejik önerilere de yer verilmiştir.Alternate : Diversification of incomes is an important element in economic and social development efforts. Health tourism, which has an important place in this diversity, has started to be discussed more, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it has become a necessity for countries to develop diversity in alternative tourism services. In this context, in this study, which focuses on comparing the health tourism potentials of metropolitan cities in Turkey, comparison criteria were determined, and the weighting of these criteria was made with CRITIC, one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods. Thirty metropolitan cities were ranked by WASPAS method using these weights and criterion values. According to the ranking results, Istanbul, Antalya, Ankara, Izmir and Adana took the first five places. Hatay, Mersin, Mardin, Sakarya and Şanlıurfa took the last place. According to these results, strategic suggestions that are considered to contribute to regional and national competitiveness in the field of medical health tourism are also included.
ABSTRACT
The authors specifically frame tourists' decision making using Schmoll's tourism consumer choice model and propose spiritual tourism experiences as alternatives to drug use along the Hummus Trail. A review of research into social tourism: Launching the annals of tourism research curated collection on social tourism. The maturing field of tourism research has also birthed affiliated research streams such as tourism geographies, tourism economics, and tourism and medical interventions (e.g. Wen et al., [17]). The tourism and hospitality industry has earned global recognition thanks to its unprecedented growth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
ABSTRACT
PurposeTourism in the Middle East is distinct and diverse, as are its associated challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various opportunities and constraints facing the Middle East region in developing and promoting its tourism.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of the current literature was conducted, and industry white papers and government portals were consulted to identify the historical relevance, current proceedings and future scope of tourism in the Middle East.FindingsGiven the diverse attractions, history, heritage and cuisine, the scope and potential to develop tourism in the Middle East region is enormous. However, political turmoil in the past and its stereotypical image emerged as the major constraints. Acknowledging the significance of the tourism sector, the governments of the region are trying hard to improve international arrivals and revenues.Originality/valueDespite a steep growth in international arrivals, tourism in the Middle East has not been adequately addressed in academia. This paper highlights the region's tourism-related background, issues and constraints, thus, addressing a critical gap in the literature.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper aims to review the contribution made by the theme issue to the body of knowledge on tourism growth drivers and challenges in the Middle East and the subsequent impact of tourism growth drivers in the region in developing and promoting tourism.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of the contributing articles featured in this theme issue was undertaken. Additionally, industry white papers and government portals were consulted to identify the historical relevance, current proceedings and future scope of tourism in the Middle East.FindingsThis summary article highlights the key outcomes relating to the tourism growth drivers and challenges in the Middle East that will assist in policy and decision-making by the pertinent stakeholders, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Originality/valueDespite steep growth in international arrivals, tourism development in the Middle East has not been adequately addressed in academia. This theme issue highlights the region's tourism-related background, problems and constraints, thereby addressing a critical gap in the literature.
ABSTRACT
This research is a mixed method research study including both quantitative and qualitative research. The samples were divided into two groups: (1) a quantitative sample group, comprising 255 foreign medical tourists who had used medical services in the southern region of Thailand;and (2) a qualitative sample group, consisting of 30 medical personnel in an infirmary in the southern area. The quantitative data collection used questionnaires as a tool, whereas for the qualitative data collection, semi-structured interviews were used. The quantitative data analysis was performed using the structural equation model analysis process. A qualitative data analysis uses a briefing technique. The results of the study were in the same direction for both qualitative and quantitative research. Satisfaction has a direct influence on the decision to reuse the services of foreign medical tourists and affects the intention to spread the word through electronic media. As for the indirect influence, it was found that the perceived cost itself directly affected the perception of the destination image;while the perception of destination image and perception of service quality also directly affected satisfaction. However, an additional factor found in qualitative research was trust in physicians, and the perception of value directly affected the decision to reuse the services of medical tourists. It also found that food awareness, cultural perception of Thai people also affected the satisfaction of receiving medical services. © 2023 Kasetsart University.
ABSTRACT
During the past three years and with the spread of the pandemic, smartphones were the most important communication bridge between tourists and organizations;now more than ever, they are intertwined with the lives of tourists and destination management organizations. Although much research has been conducted in this field, the investigation of the effects of the pandemic on the technology and functionality of smartphones is one of the topics that has been less discussed. Therefore, the current research was conducted to determine the role of smartphones in tourism management dynamics during the pandemic. The research method was qualitative (content analysis, theme analysis), and 32 people participated in the interview process as a statistical sample. Then, the oral interviews were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was performed. For the analysis of the interviews, MAXQDA 2020 software was used. The results of the research indicate that smartphones were one of the most important platforms for tourism management dynamics during the pandemic, and in the event of a pandemic in the future, they can help contain the destruction to a great extent in their current position.
ABSTRACT
Medical tourism is a field where healthcare and travel both coincide. Herein, people from different parts of the world travel to different countries in order to avail world-class treatment at an affordable price. With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, this industry has been hit hard. However, this industry has still reflected back the waves of COVID-19 and has emerged better. This paper has made an effort to comprehend the viewpoints and opinions of the providers that accept medical tourism in India. The participants were selected using judgement and snowball sampling. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted using both face-to-face method as well as telephonic method. The data was then analysed using Atlas.ti software to highlight the various factors affecting medical tourism as well as its interaction with COVID19 pandemic. © The Author(s) 2023.
ABSTRACT
This study marks an early attempt to evaluate staycation incentive programs initiated by local authorities. It aims to gauge the effectiveness of staycation programs in cultivating learning opportunities and restorative benefits with an emphasis on temporal positive psychological outcomes amid this continuing pandemic. Relying on a survey-based research design, we conducted a survey with 409 local tourists in Macau, where a recent staycation initiative has attained prominent success. We then undertook the structural equation modeling test using AMOS. Results show how short local excursions could still fortify one's psychological capital with respect to ephemeral improvement in hope, confidence, optimism, and resilience in the face of extenuating circumstances. By synthesizing a path leading from COVID-related distress to fortification of a more prepared mental state for the new normal through the staycation's experiential benefits, this study thus puts forth a mechanism that explains why tourists/residents engage in staycation programs, as well as illuminating the psychological values associated with such activities. By answering these questions, this research improvises a three-stage process that identifies pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip mental encounters that improve participants' psychological capabilities, even if only temporarily. The present inquiry sheds light on a new form of sustainability: mental (or psychological) sustainability. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
ABSTRACT
Wellness in different forms is growing in importance in the lifestyles of many travelers, therefore the offer side is constantly innovating and increasing its appealing products and services. DMOs should support these providers in reaching their target markets, which represents the purpose of this paper. It is well known, branding is one of the key tools in communicating the attractiveness of a tourist destination. The main research question which reflects the aim is: how are DMOs incorporating the concept of wellness in their destination branding marketing activities? This problem is researched on the examples of Croatian and Malta island destinations.
ABSTRACT
Purpose>The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the evolution of health tourism development, identify relevant themes and segments of health tourism research and offer future research directions and practical implications for academic researchers and tourism practitioners worldwide using China as an example.Design/methodology/approach>Using a bibliometric analysis, the present study comprehensively analyzes the theme, segments and the evolution of health tourism research over the past 40 years in China.Findings>Major findings show that health tourism research in China could be divided into four stages with different characteristics, and three segments, including wellness tourism, health and wellness tourism and medical tourism. Findings also reveal the trend of health tourism development tends to be industrialized, diversified and systematic under the guidance of recent policies. Theoretically, based on the theoretical framework developed by Hall (2011), the present study contributes to the establishment and extension of the framework for health tourism within the context of China. Practically, findings can provide health tourism-related policy implications for the future development of health or health sector-integrated tourism.Research limitations/implications>The study proposes possible collaboration between government and academia in terms of health tourism-related policy formulation.Originality/value>Through 40-year bibliometric analysis of health tourism evolution in China, the present study explores the main themes of health tourism development, identifies the segments of health tourism and analyzes the development stages of health tourism. Findings should be of use to international readers to better understand the uniqueness of health tourism development and find out possible future health tourism development research directions. As a result, major contributions of this paper are the comprehensive analysis of the evolution of health tourism research and the implications on other countries and regions to adopt a pragmatic approach to explore the trend and unique characteristics of health tourism for future development.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: In general, the demand for medical tourism is influenced by several factors. The first is an aging population with a growing health problem and discretionary income and leisure. The second is changes in health behaviours that focus on disease prevention. Research seeks the answer to the changes in the demand for medical tourism in recent years in health spas. Method(s): We conducted secondary research, based on official data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. We examined the types of baths, the passenger traffic of the baths, the services used with National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA) support, the turnover of the baths Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, data for the year 2020 were not taken into account, so we are examining the period between 2012 and 2019 for health spas in Hungary. Result(s): During the period under review, between 2012 and 2019 the demand of spas showed an increase of 15 %, which was 6.6 million people. The number of visitors to the spas increased by an average of 945,000 per year, which means an average increase of 2.5 %. 92.6 % of spa visitors used the services without NHIFA reimbursement in 2012, which increased to 94.7 % by 2019, an annual average increase of 0.3 %. In connection with the turnover of the baths, there is no data for years 2012 and 2013, in the period between 2014-2019, it increased by 56.31 million HUF, an average increase of 11.26 million HUF per year. Conclusion(s): The continuous development of health spas resulted in the growth of spa favourites in Hungary. The increase in the number of spa favourites would mean to increase the scope of the NHIFA supported treatments and the degree of subsidies, which consists of the aspirations and suggestions of the Hungarian Baths Association. Copyright © 2022
ABSTRACT
Medical tourism is a rapidly growing sector of economic growth and diversification. However, data on the demographics and characteristics of the traveling patients are sparse. In this study, we analyzed the common demographic properties and characteristics of the inbound medical tourists seeking orthopedic medical care in Germany for the years 2010 to 2019 compared to a domestic group. At the same time, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak of 2020 changed the field of medical tourism in Germany. Calculations were performed using administrative hospital data provided by the Federal Statistical Department of Germany. Data were analyzed from the years 2010 to 2020. A total of six elective orthopedic surgery codes (bone biopsy, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, osteotomy, hardware removal, and arthrodesis) were identified as key service indicators for medical tourism and further analyzed. Factors including residence, sex, year, and type of elective surgery were modeled using linear regression analysis. Age and sex distributions were compared between patients living inside Germany (DE) or outside Germany (non-DE). Between 2010 and 2020, 6,261,801 orthopedic procedures were coded for the DE group and 27,420 key procedures were identified for the non-DE group. Medical tourists were predominantly male and significantly younger than the domestic population. The linear regression analysis of the OPS codes over the past years showed a significantly different slope between the DE and non-DE groups only for the OPS code "hardware removal". With the COVID-19 pandemic, an overall decline in performed orthopedic procedures was observed for the non-DE and the DE group. A significant reduction below the 95% prediction bands for the year 2020 could be shown for hardware removal and foot surgery (for DE), and for hardware removal, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, and osteotomy (for non-DE). This study is the first to quantify inbound medical tourism in elective orthopedic surgery in Germany. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many-but not all-areas of orthopedic surgery. It has to be seen how this negative trend will develop in the future.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Medical Tourism , Humans , Male , Female , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , Germany/epidemiology , DemographyABSTRACT
People have increasingly engaged in medical tourism to find effective medical treatments but more economical overseas. These travellers use the service of online Medical Tourism Facilitators (MTFs) in choosing and arranging medical trips. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ban on international travelling disrupted travel and thus seriously affected the tourism businesses, including MTFs. Businesses need to be resilient and pivot their business models to survive and bounce back from the crisis. However, it is less clear how MTFs navigate this Covid-19 pandemic. This paper adopts a case study to explain how an online MTF platform (Dental Departures) responds to the opportunities and challenges and examines how it pivots business models.