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Medical Tourism Statistics and Facts | Health-Tourism.com

An essential fact sheet and guide on medical tourism statistics, medical tourism: the full picture, medical tourism facts: why do people go abroad to get medical treatment.

• Approximately 2.5 million foreign patients traveled to hospitals in Thailand in 2013. In Bangkok's prestigious Bumrungrad International Hospital, over 520,000 international patients received treatment at the hospital.
• Singapore has been a growing medical tourism center in South East Asia with 850,000 medical tourists arriving in 2012. In January 2019 however, a report was released by RHB Research , the article quotes analyst Juliana Cai saying "As healthcare costs in neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Thailand are much lower, they have been attracting medical tourists from the region – thereby eating into Singapore's market share."
• Latin America , particularly Costa Rica and Panama , are fast becoming tourist spots for medical travelers with approximately 40,000 foreign patients seeking healthcare in Costa Rica in 2011.
• Due to its close proximity to the U.S., Mexico has become a top medical tourism destination with 40,000 to 80,000 American seniors spending their retirement there with a considerable number receiving nursing home and health care. According to Politico however, the recent events with Donald Trump and the wall could damage the flow of medical tourism across the border.
• After visitors number more than doubling in the last 5 years, Malaysia is also becoming a famous destination with 770,134 medical travelers in 2013. In 2016 Malaysia received numerous awards and global recognition from International Medical Travel Journal . Among the awards won by The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) were ‘Health & Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year’, International Hospital of the Year, ‘International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic of the Year, ‘International Dental Clinic of the Year’, ‘International Fertility of the Year’, and ‘Best Marketing Initiative of the Year’.
• India has become a medical tourism hot spot, with 166,000 international patients in 2012 coming to the country due to the selection of highly skilled doctors and improved medical infrastructure. In 2016 the numbers kept rising, with over 170,000 medical visas awarded . This represents only a fraction of the total medical tourists entering the country.
• South Korea has now entered the top ten countries in the world in terms of tourist volume. At the last available count in 2016, 390,000 people travelled to Korea as a medical tourist compared to the overall patient volume of 14 million.
• The UK has recently announced the need for improved quality standards for cross border care. There seems to be room for more private inbound medical tourism but there needs to be a change in the cap on numbers allowed currently.
• In Spain , the demand for medical tourism has skyrocketed, especially in the town of Marbella. Over 330 million euros a year are generated in the province. The Quirón business group is the biggest medical supplier in Spain and it treats up to 20,000 foreign patients a year, with most of the patients coming from the UK, Netherlands and Finland.
• As fertility decreases in the MENA region the demand for IVF and related services grows. In North Africa and the Middle East there is a $1 billion market, serviced by Turkey but also increasingly by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi.

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• Exploring Health Tourism

The ETC/UNWTO publication on Exploring Health Tourism aims to provide a better understanding of the growing segment of wellness and medical tourism. The study introduces the evolution of health-related tourism products and services from all around the world and provides insights into the current situation of the industry, as well as the future potential. It also includes a comprehensive taxonomy that serves as a common reference for tourism destinations operating in this field, as well as a practical toolkit to assist NTOs and DMOs with their planning and management of health-related tourism activities.

Click here   for the Executive Summary of this publication.

ISBN : 978-92-844-2020-9

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Key Trends in Health and Wellness Tourism (2021)

Published: 18 February 2021 Code: GDTT0366MI

GlobalData’s Key Trends in Health and Wellness Tourism (2021) report, provides an analysis of traveller types and key market trends which are contributing to one of the fastest-growing segments within tourism currently – health and wellness.  

Health and Wellness tourism has grown significantly in the past decade. As more people are aware of wellness, mental and physical wellbeing (as well as ways to achieve it), many have combined travel and wellness together, creating a need for the growth of the health and wellness tourism industry. Some countries are evidently hotspots for this kind of travel, but total global wellness inbound arrivals from 2014 to 2019 (before the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic) grew at a 4.1% CAGR. GlobalData forecasts that this is set to grow further from 2021 onwards, with a 4.7% CAGR from 2021 to 2024.

View an all-inclusive summary of the Key Trends in Health and Wellness Tourism (2021) report:

Although the pandemic has halted global travel for a prolonged period, interest in health and wellness travel has not declined. The previous boom in health and wellness travel would have been sustained had COVID-19 not impacted travel. This can be seen from the graph, as it shows that inbound health and wellness arrivals and expenditure is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022. On top of this interest, due to the pandemic and its impacts, focus on mental health and wellbeing has been more apparent than ever, after billions of people across the world were ordered to stay at home and change their lifestyle completely. This increased focus will inevitably lead to an increased interest in health and wellness holidays in the future when global travel restrictions are lifted.

Important outlook discussed in the report :

• Countries most likely to take H&W holidays also attract the most H&W visitors: The GlobalData 2019 Q3 Consumer Survey showed that 15% of global respondents took medical and wellness holidays, but that some countries were more likely to go on these type of holidays compared to others. The nations least likely to take this kind of holiday were the UK (3%), Greece (5%), Australia (6%), and Canada (6%)
• Medical tourist source country depends on national health systems: One aspect that varies drastically across the world is the availability and cost of healthcare. In some countries, such as the UK and Denmark, the healthcare system is fully funded via tax contributions and most procedures are carried out free of charge, where paying for healthcare is not even considered. However in contrast, in the US the healthcare system is privately funded, where residents require private medical insurance or face high bills for simple medical things such as blood tests, ambulance trips and nights in a hospital bed
• COVID-19 has given the opportunity for focus on health and wellness: One of the few industries to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic is the health and wellness industry. Due to the impacts the pandemic caused on daily life, such as a change in working patterns, extended time alone and at home, there has been an increased focus on personal health, mental health, happiness, wellbeing, and many more aspects of life

Check our report to get detailed insights on the k ey trends in the health and wellness tourism sector.

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Health Tourism—Subject of Scientific Research: A Literature Review and Cluster Analysis

Michał roman.

1 Department of Tourism, Social Communication and Consulting, Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Monika Roman

2 Department of Logistics, Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Monika Wojcieszak-Zbierska

3 Faculty of Economics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland

Associated Data

Not applicable.

The purpose of this article is to identify main research areas in health tourism in scientific research. The data used in this analysis span from 2000 to 2022, was retrieved from the Web of Science database, and comprises a total of 1493 bibliometric records of publications. The paper includes both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis. The following four main research areas were identified based on the results: (1) patient satisfaction built upon trust; (2) health impacts of the destination (including the economic aspect, which plays a decisive role in choosing a tourism destination); (3) health behavior as a major part of human activity; and (4) traveling with a view to regain one’s health. Note that the limitations of this study—which mostly affect the methodological part—need to be taken into consideration. This is the consequence of the selected publication database and of the search criteria used, such as the publication year or language.

1. Introduction

Travel and tourism, which keeps evolving, is the world’s largest service industry [ 1 , 2 ]. It drives an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in destination countries, while also strongly contributing to their government’s tax income [ 3 ]. The travel and tourism sector is worth USD 7.6 trillion and accounts for more than 10% of the global GDP, 7% of total international trade, and 30% of service exports around the world. Income from tourism also provides an important currency exchange engine for countries worldwide, thus becoming an enabler of economic growth and investments in a number of other sectors. In 2016, tourism grew by 3.1%, which is 2.5% above the growth rate of the global economy [ 4 ].

As the third largest socioeconomic activity in the European Union, tourism is a major contributor to its gross domestic product and employment. While Europe is the world’s most popular tourism destination, it is not the fastest developing region at a global level. It has experienced a decline in its market share, measured by the visits of and income from international tourists [ 5 ]. In 2018, Europe had the world’s largest number of international visitors (713 million, i.e., more than half of the global total) and saw a growth rate of 6% [ 2 ].

Tourism is a sector whose income keeps increasing [ 6 ]. It forms a major part of many economies, while also having a considerable impact on human (including inter-generational) relationships and on global international connections. At a global level, tourism is viewed as a sector of extreme importance, as it brings crucial benefits to the economy [ 7 ]. Each year, it generates ca. 10% of the global GDP, making it the third largest sector of the economy [ 8 ]. In this context, it mostly performs a macroeconomic function, as it stimulates the socioeconomic development of a country by adding value, which translates into an increase in gross domestic product [ 9 , 10 ].

Tourism is among the largest and fastest developing sectors of the global economy [ 11 ]. By creating jobs, driving revenues from exports, and boosting investments and infrastructural development, tourism both directly and indirectly contributes in a significant way to socioeconomic processes. Note, however, that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disastrous effect on tourism development worldwide [ 12 ].

Even prior to COVID-19, global tourism was facing a number of crises. The main breakthrough events from 2000–2015 include the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, the global economic crisis in 2008/2009, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2015 [ 13 ].

However, none of the crises listed above resulted in a prolonged global decline in tourism development. Only SARS (−0.4%) and the global economic crisis (−4.0%) entailed a drop in the number of international airline travelers. This would suggest that tourism, as a system, is robust to external shocks. However, there is overwhelming evidence that the consequences of and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be of an unprecedented nature. This is why health tourism has recently become increasingly popular. Society needs some rest and support in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, which members can find in a number of locations, including rural areas [ 13 ].

Tourism has a series of important social functions [ 14 ]. Because of the number of purposes it serves, there are ten to twenty classifications of tourism traffic, which are additionally sub-divided into subtypes, kinds, or specific forms [ 15 ].

This includes health tourism, often referred to as therapeutic tourism. Różycki [ 16 ] identifies two more alternative terms: spa tourism and curative tourism (sometimes, in a broader sense, also referred to as health tourism). Although known for quite a long time, it has become particularly popular over the recent years, and is intended to recover and revitalize the body [ 17 ].

Indeed, as people are always in a hurry, they look for ways to alleviate the stress and take care of their mental and physical health [ 18 ]. The increased interest in healthy lifestyles, combined with physical and intellectual activity, has directly contributed to changing the existing patterns of spending free time [ 19 ]. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to identify main research areas in health tourism in scientific research based on the current literature review.

2. Literature Review on Health Tourism

Society demonstrates a growing health awareness [ 20 , 21 ]. Health is believed to be the most important and most precious thing for human life and development, and it can be neither purchased from nor sold to another person [ 22 ]. It represents individual wealth and a private value attributed to a particular human being [ 23 ]. In order for working people to maintain their health in physical, mental, spiritual (related to individual and social awareness), and social terms, they need to relax in their free time, because, otherwise, their bodies may become weaker and exposed to illnesses in the long run [ 24 ].

Claiming that “health is something you either have or do not have” is overly simplistic [ 25 ]. Health is something that needs to be taken care of on a continuous basis; people must seek their well-being, have their illnesses (if any) cured, make their bodies fitter, and—first of all—prevent diseases [ 26 ]. The increased interest in healthy lifestyles, combined with physical and intellectual activity, contributes directly to changing the existing patterns of spending free time. This means shifting from the 3S (Sun, Sea, Sand) model to the 3E (Entertainment, Excitement, Education) and 3A (Action, Amusement, Adventure) models [ 27 ].

As society ages, tourists look for diverse forms of active leisure that will improve their physical and mental condition while allowing their bodies to recover [ 28 ]. As today’s society becomes increasingly wealthy, people demonstrate greater demand for luxury goods and services related to improving their health condition. The increased interest in health tourism is viewed as one of the key developments witnessed in the market for tourism services [ 29 ]. Table 1 presents some selected definitions of health tourism.

Selected definitions of health tourism found in the relevant literature.

Source: [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].

Health tourism is a combination of active leisure, prevention, and treatment [ 38 ]. Could it become an important driver of rural development? Indeed, it should develop on environmentally sound areas and has a direct impact on the economic development of the territory concerned [ 39 ].

The forms of health tourism are shaped and directly implied by the motives behind it, including [ 40 ]:

• post-illness and post-trauma recovery,
• the desire to remove the adverse consequences of stress,
• anti-ageing and beauty treatments (including plastic surgery),
• fighting addictions,
• the decision to improve one’s health condition by undergoing a specialized healthcare intervention or operation in a relaxed atmosphere in an environment not resembling a hospital,
• a way of accessing increasingly diverse complementary therapies related to preventive healthcare measures.

Health tourism can be divided into the following types, as shown in Figure 1 .

Division of health tourism. Source: [ 37 , 41 ].

Health tourism has become more popular in the post-2000 era [ 42 ] because society increasingly often needs physical and mental leisure. Furthermore, there is noticeable development in the market of services for disabled tourists.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. research methodology.

The aim of the article was achieved on the basis of a review of the current literature on medical tourism based on the SotA procedure, as detailed by Barry et al. [ 43 ]. The study used bibliometric methods in order to facilitate the analysis of a large number of publications [ 44 ]. The authors relied on descriptive bibliometrics in analyzing the scientific research trends and in identifying the right scientists and research centers [ 45 , 46 ].

The following tools and techniques were used in the bibliometric analysis: analysis of changes in the number of publications; citation analysis; and the co-word method. The analysis of changes in the number of publications and citations allowed identification of the trends and determination of the levels of knowledge transfer and dissemination by representatives of different scientific centers. In turn, the co-word analysis enabled the identification of main thematic areas addressed in health tourism publications with the use of a cluster analysis method developed by Zhu et al. [ 47 ]. The clustering was estimated with VOSviewer (Visualising Scientific Landscapes) version 1.6.18 (2022) [ 48 ], a tool for building and visualizing bibliometric networks that is capable of handling large text files with descriptions of bibliographic records from well-known databases, including the Web of Science (WoS).

3.2. Data Collection and Research Tasks

The data used in this analysis were retrieved from the Web of Science database on November 15, 2022. Web of Science is one of the major search engines for scientific sources, and it offers a wide variety of documents. The fundamental issue in searching for records is to identify the keywords believed to be of relevance for the problem concerned [ 49 ]. The analysis covered papers with the following expressions in their titles: “health tourism,” “medical tourism,” “spa tourism,” and “spa and wellness.” Only articles that were grouped in the "title" section have been addressed.

This resulted in retrieving a set of 1533 publications, which were then subject to a refined selection process based on the following limitative criteria:

• (1) date published: the study took account of papers published between 2000 and 2022;
• (2) publication type: the study took account of papers published in reviewed scientific journals and books;
• (3) publication subject: the study took account of publications focused on selected keywords.

After applying the limitative criteria, the dataset comprised 1493 publications.

As the next step, the authors tried to discover the general trend in the number of publications and citations, and to identify the main researchers, centers, countries, journals, and research areas related to health tourism.

4.1. General Trend in Health Tourism Publications

Figure 2 presents the number of WoS publications addressing health tourism from 2000–2022. Note that the interest in the topic covered by this analysis follows a steady growth trend. Three sub-periods of development of health tourism publications can be identified: (1) small interest: 2000–2009; (2) medium interest: 2010–2018; (3) high interest: 2019–2022 (with an average of 140 papers per year). The significant growth in the number of publications over the last years can be explained by greater care in addressing health tourism issues.

Number of health tourism publications from 2000–2022. Source: own elaboration based on the dedicated database.

The growing interest in health tourism topics justifies the need for a review with a structured approach to the most recent literature and for identification of future areas of research in that domain.

The largest number of papers were written in English (1343). The database also included articles written in Spanish (68), German (21), Russian (10), Chinese (7), French (6), Croatian (6), Portuguese (6), Czech (5), and Italian (4).

Most publications addressed such research topics as social sciences, business economics, and public environmental occupational health ( Table 2 ).

Top ten research areas related to health tourism.

Source: own elaboration based on the dedicated database.

Table 2 suggests that the authors represented various fields of research. However, a large number of publications addressed topics related to medical sciences, e.g., public environmental occupational health, healthcare, and internal medicine.

4.2. Web of Science Categories

The next step consisted of dividing the scientific publications into Web of Science categories ( Table 3 ).

Web of Science categories.

Most publications (as many as 411) fell into the category of “Hospitality Leisure Sport Tourism”.

4.3. Analysis of Publication Sources

The most popular journals with health tourism papers include Sustainability, Tourism Management, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Iranian Journal of Public Health , and International Journal of Healthcare Management ( Table 4 ).

Scientific journals with the largest number of health tourism publications.

The most popular publishers include Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Emerald Group Publishing ( Table 5 ).

Publishers with the largest number of health tourism publications.

The next step was to present publication authors, their countries of origin, and their affiliations.

4.4. Analysis of Publications by Country and Research Center

The greatest number of health tourism publications were authored by Jeremy Snyder ( Table 6 ).

Authors of health tourism publications.

Most authors of health tourism publications originate from the United States and China. Many other publications were related to authors coming from countries such as Malaysia, United Kingdom, and Canada ( Table 7 ).

Number of publications by country.

The next step focused on analyzing the research centers. Note that research on health tourism was highly dispersed, with the largest number of papers published by employees of Simon Fraser University ( Table 8 ).

Number of publications by research center.

The authors also represented the State University System of Florida, the Ministry of Education Science of Ukraine, and the University of London.

4.5. Analysis of Main Research Areas

The next step in identifying the research areas related to health tourism was the co-word analysis, which served as a basis for the subsequent cluster analysis. Note that the co-word or co-occurrence analysis is a technique that allows examining the actual content of a publication [ 50 ]. It uses words derived from the keywords defined by the author(s), and it can also be employed in analyzing words contained in the paper’s keywords, title, abstract, or index, and even in its full text [ 51 ]. As a consequence, a thematic relation can be established between frequently co-occurring words, which allows identifying thematic clusters and outlining the trends of future research areas.

The co-word analysis was performed as follows:

• Retrieving database records using criteria detailed in the Methodology section.
• Exporting data, including authors’ names, title, abstract, keywords, and references.
• Mapping the relationships that underpin the thematic clusters. The analysis of frequencies was carried out for a set of keywords that occurred in no less than ten phrases.
• Analyzing the results.

Figure 3 presents the visualization of keywords for the “health tourism” thematic area, with “travel”, “health-care”, “care”, “health”, “satisfaction”, “impact”, “model”, “quality” and “destination” as the most frequent occurrences.

Co-Word Cluster Map. Source: own elaboration based on the dedicated database.

The co-word analysis identified four research clusters related to the topic of health tourism ( Figure 3 ).

Cluster 1 (green): patient satisfaction built upon trust; Cluster 2 (yellow): health impacts of the destination; Cluster 3 (blue): health behavior as a major part of human activity; and Cluster 4 (red): traveling with a view to regain one’s health.

5. Discussion

5.1. cluster 1 (green): patient satisfaction built upon trust.

The first cluster covered by the analysis dealt with medical sciences because it was related to patient satisfaction built upon trust in healthcare institutions. Highly interesting research on these matters was presented in a paper by Khodadad Hosseini and Behboudi [ 52 ]. Their goal was to examine the impacts of brand trust on a population of healthcare service users. Nowadays, healthcare managers and activists tend to increasingly rely on marketing and branding measures in order to attract and satisfy their customers. Hence, the study focused on a conceptual model designed to assess brand trust and the impact of brand image on customer satisfaction. Data were sourced from 240 survey questionnaires. The study found the following to be the most efficient aspects with the greatest impact on customer satisfaction and use of healthcare services: brand image; personnel’s sincerity in handling patients; and interactions and relationships with doctors. The authors believe that identifying important elements related to healthcare branding helps healthcare managers and operators create and protect their brands and, as a consequence, drives an increase in profitability due to greater consumer satisfaction.

Highly interesting findings on how to build patient satisfaction were brought by Liu, Ching-Yick Tse, and He [ 53 ]. The purpose of their study was to compare the impacts of health-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) factors on the intents of casual restaurant customers in the U.S. and China. They adopted an approach based on survey questionnaires to collect data in both countries. A total of 828 complete answers were used to validate the hypotheses through the modeling of structural equations. The results revealed some considerable differences in replies between the two countries. The research framework underpinning health-related CSR aspects, critical variables, and relationships among them was subject to a theoretical test and verification procedure. From a practical point of view, these findings allow the management to develop efficient (yet different) market strategies in order to promote CSR initiatives among consumers with a different cultural, political, and economic background (such as the U.S. and China) in order to increase financial benefits while building consumer satisfaction and loyalty. This is one of the few empirical studies on the impacts of consumer decision-making factors on culinary behaviors based on how the restaurants present their health-related CSR initiatives in countries with different market environments.

5.2. Cluster 2 (Yellow): Health Impacts of Holiday Destinations

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people traveling for health reasons [ 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Many scientists indicate that domestic and international health destinations are attractive mostly because of the differences in prices of products and services offered [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. According to [ 62 , 63 ], a broad range of tourism services and products—combined with the patients and their accompanying persons having an enjoyable stay in a tourist destination—has a clear positive effect on their health. Another aspect of importance to tourists [ 63 ] is the destination itself and its surroundings.

One of the very few positive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is people becoming environmentally committed and interested in nature. An interesting study on this was presented by Allison Williams and Rannveig Ólafsdóttir (2022), who indicate that traveling has become possible again, and, thus, people can restart using healthcare tourism services based on natural assets viewed from a therapeutic perspective. Their research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to drawing a number of conclusions. First, people realized that they can work remotely from any location (obviously depending on the nature of their work). Second, as they rely on innovative solutions to communicate with others (and for other purposes), they started to appreciate the benefits derived from modern technologies. Third, they started to value and pay particular attention to their health. The last aspect indicated by the researchers were natural values. The COVID-19 era saw a breakthrough in tourism because the traveling restrictions and social isolation made people appreciate nature and enjoy leisure in a natural environment. Similar conclusions were presented in a case study for Poland by Wojcieszak-Zbierska et al. [ 64 ], who demonstrated that at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people decided to spend their free time on agritourism farms because they found it to be the right option for them and, most of all, to be a safe form of leisure. The study also highlighted that staying on agritourism farms had a beneficial impact on the visitors’ recovery and health. Another important aspect addressed by Xiang Yan and Shenjing He [ 65 ] is the way of financing a stay, which is expected to improve one’s physical and mental health. The authors noted that tourists increasingly often opt for staying in an attractive location, which is supposed to meet their specific individual needs related to maintaining a good physical and mental state while having a thrilling experience. The thing that matters to tourists is the destination, whereas financial resources are often a secondary concern.

As shown by the analysis of international papers, including by Aikaterini Manthiou, Volker G. Kuppelwieser and Phil Klaus; Agapito, D., Mendes, J. and Valle, P.; Cetin, G., Bilgihan, A. [ 66 , 67 , 68 ], respectively, the location of a tourist destination is of tremendous importance to the visitors’ health. This is mostly due to the growing value and importance of needs (especially including higher-order needs) and changes in the structure of the population’s needs and preferences that have been witnessed over the last ten to twenty years. These developments largely affect today’s social consumption model, which triggers changes in the service market and in the production and supply of goods. There is continuous growth in the capacity to meet a broad range of needs, and consumers keep changing their inclinations, preferences, and even habits. In turn, it follows from a study by Hung, W. L., Lee, Y. J., Huang, P. H.; Rodríguez Molina, M. Á., Frías-Jamilena, D. M., Castañeda-García, J. A. [ 69 , 70 ], respectively, that consumer expectations are no longer limited to having a place to rest. Visitors also want their destination to add value through positive emotions, experiences, education, and improved health.

5.3. Cluster 3 (Blue): Health Behaviors as an Important Part of Human Activity (Including the Economic Aspect, Which Plays a Decisive Role in Choosing a Tourism Destination)

Today’s lifestyle concept attracts constant interest from researchers around the world [ 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ]. Its definition encompasses the whole range of an individual’s characteristic daily behaviors, which express his/her personality traits. The concept has strongly gained in popularity over recent years because of intense changes in two areas of human life: health and consumption of goods and services. As rightly noted in a number of studies, including by Han H. and Heung V., Kucukusta D., Song H. [ 76 , 77 ], respectively, currently, people can be observed to attach greater importance to their own safety and wellbeing when traveling and upon arrival at a holiday destination. This can be explained largely by the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which has certainly reinforced the changes in health habits related to the adherence to hygiene and sanitary standards at tourism destinations. Health behaviors mean those related to human health; the literature on the subject divides them into health-promoting and self-destructive actions. A number of researchers, including Hofer S., Honegger F., Hubeli J. and Hopkins L., Labonte R., Runnels V., Packer C. [ 78 , 79 ], respectively, emphasize that in order to discuss the changes in health-related behavior, it is necessary to gain in-depth knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. As there is growth in demand for diverse forms of health tourism (including medical tourism), there is also a restructuring of the tourism product offered. According to Białk-Wolf, A., Arent, M., Buziewicz, A. and Alejziak W. [ 27 , 80 ], respectively, many tourists today realize the positive role of physical activity. For a modern human, proper nutrition habits, a positive mental attitude (especially after the aggravation of the COVID-19 pandemic), reliable information, preventive healthcare, and physical activity itself play an important role in improving his/her living conditions. Hence, health behaviors are undoubtedly a major part of today’s human activity.

In turn, another issue was addressed by Forgione DA, Smith PC.; Bagozzi, R. P., Gurhan-Canli, Z. and Priester, J. R.; Lam, T. and Hsu, C. H. C.; March, R. and Woodside, G. [ 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 ], respectively. who found that demand- and supply-side changes in today’s tourism market are driven by changes to the tourist’s purchasing behavior. According to them, there is change in the forms of travel organization; in the quality, duration, and frequency of traveling; and in the ways and forms of spending free time. Consumers increasingly often opt for leisure scenarios that involve physical activity. Many researchers also focused their attention on one more aspect. Namely, according to Hudson S., Xiang R.L.; Heather Hartwell, Alan Fyall, Cheryl Willis, Stephen Page, Adele Ladkin, Ann Hemingway; Allison Drinkert, Neha Singh; Ediansyah, Mts Arief, Mohammad Hamsal, Sri Bramantoro Abdinagoro; Yingru Li, Lin Liu, Jianguo Chen, Jiewen Zhang [ 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 ], respectively, despite society becoming increasingly aware of the importance of healthcare, there still is need for social education on how to take care of one’s health condition. In turn, Chihiro Morito and Sunildro LS Akoijam, Tabassum Khan [ 90 , 91 ], respectively, note that building adequate levels of awareness of one’s own health behaviors is of key importance, as it drives health-promoting attitudes. Health behavior is also related to a social and cultural context [ 91 ]. Culture has an impact on a number of aspects, including the standards of living and lifestyle of a community, how much they know about their health habits, and how they perceive their health [ 92 , 93 , 94 ]. The use of media in shaping health-promoting attitudes also plays an important role. The technological and technical development, combined with state-of-the-art social messengers, is what makes media an important stream of information, including about health. Hence, social campaigns ran on the TV, radio, FB, and Instagram are designed to make the information reach a wide audience [ 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 ].

5.4. Cluster 4 (Red): Traveling with a View to Regain One’s Health

Tourism is a form of physical activity [ 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 ] that consists in traveling away from one’s place of permanent residence to rest or explore. It includes business trips, as well as holiday, health, and other travels with accommodation away from home. According to the literature on the subject, health tourism means curative tourism, spa and wellness tourism, and medical tourism [ 106 , 107 ]. As shown in a study by Kachniewska [ 108 ], it develops in response to today’s social and demographic changes (including needs related to diseases of affluence and ageing societies), while also triggering the potential for new consumer needs and trends. An interesting aspect was also presented in studies by Saint-Pierre, C.; Herskovic, V.; Roberts, F.S.; Darbellay, F.; Stock, M.; Neil Lunt, Percivil Carrera; Tze-Jen Pan, Wen-Chang Chen [ 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ], respectively, who indicated a new trend emerging in health tourism. It suggests that in addition to products and services, tourists also buy the accompanying experiences, emotions, and sensations when traveling. According to the researchers, the consumers’ health-oriented trips should be connected to a holiday destination that offers appropriate values (e.g., environmental benefits: clean air, favorable climate, mineral waters, etc.), while also delivering some components that affect emotions. Traveling is supposed to be interesting, pleasant, and engaging. Therefore, studies by Pearce, P.L; Buda, D. [ 115 , 116 ], respectively, reveal yet another crucial factor that guides health-oriented trips. The authors mostly focused on explaining the roles and importance of sophisticated technologies and techniques, which make it possible for today’s consumers to travel long distances with the use of state-of-the-art tools.

Nowadays, people expect to be able to relax in a healthy and active way in urban and rural areas. The tourism sector is currently focused on offering a customized portfolio composed of medical, spa, wellness, and other services [ 117 , 118 , 119 ]. People travel to clinics, spa resorts, and sanatoriums (go on therapeutic trips) for different reasons and want to improve their health status by undergoing professional rehabilitation or treatment programs [ 120 ]. An important topic addressed by Neil Lunt and Percivil Carrera was the context of how medical tourists finance their travels. According to them, some tourists rely on social health programs, while others use their own resources (pay out of pocket for accessing dentist, beauty, and programmed treatments). The authors indicate that as a consequence of administrative and legal regulations, tourists very often rely on their own funds in paying for medical services (especially in Europe), which can be viewed as a financial disharmony. They also note that there is still confusion as to the rights of patients who travel abroad, e.g., in order to receive a treatment.

6. Conclusions

The recent years have seen growing interest in and importance of health tourism. A healthy lifestyle, as currently developed around the globe, is at the very core of today’s social changes. It promotes physical and mental fitness; determines the condition of an individual’s body; affects people’s pace of work, efficiency, and mental capacity; and conditions their creativity and ability to take action.

This paper was a review of the current literature on medical tourism. It provided a basis for identifying four research clusters spanning the following content: patient satisfaction built upon trust; health impacts of the destination (including the economic aspect, which plays a decisive role in choosing a tourism destination); health behavior as a major part of human activity; and traveling with a view to regain one’s health. This study provides grounds for some conclusions. First, health tourism contributes to improvements in individuals’ mental and physical health; in that context, an important role is played by the behavioral and emotional dimension and by the experience lived in a tourism destination. Another important aspect to humans is the destination itself and its surroundings, where visitors can undergo a variety of medical and curative procedures and—first of all—take care of their health and recover their vitality. Health-oriented trips, especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, changed the way tourists behave when their own safety is concerned. It means that they expect their hosts to guarantee a safe and peaceful experience during their stay.

The authors realize certain restrictions affecting this study, but believe that a further analysis would provide valuable grounds for continued in-depth scientific research. Indeed, there is a great need for more research on health tourism based on knowledge resources shared between tourism and related sciences.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); methodology M.R. (Monika Roman); software, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); validation M.R. (Monika Roman); formal analysis, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); investigation, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); resources, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); data curation, M.R. (Michał Roman) and M.R. (Monika Roman); writing—original draft preparation, M.R. (Michał Roman), M.R. (Monika Roman), and M.W.-Z.; writing—review and editing, M.R. (Monika Roman); visualization, M.R. (Michał Roman), M.R. (Monika Roman), and M.W.-Z.; supervision, M.R. (Monika Roman); project administration, M.R. (Michał Roman); funding acquisition, M.R. (Michał Roman), M.R. (Monika Roman), and M.W.-Z. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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3,030 Americans

The data was gathered by conducting a national survey with 3,030 Americans of every age, gender, education level, and socioeconomic status. The Medical Tourism Index considers three primary factors as the drivers of medical tourism, and each of the three factors has a subset of items that allows a more detailed comparison in order to measure each destination’s attractiveness and brand awareness as a medical tourism destination. For more information on the methodology, click here .

Other statistics on the topic Medical tourism in Latin America

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Statistics on " Medical tourism "

• Share of U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment as of 2019
• U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by race
• U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by generation
• Share of U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by gender
• Cost of a knee replacement in various countries 2019
• Reasons U.S. adults had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019
• Reasons U.S. adults had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by gender
• U.S. adults who would travel abroad for select medical treatments 2019
• Medical treatments U.S. adults had traveled abroad for as of 2019
• Medical treatments U.S. adults had traveled abroad for as of 2019, by gender
• Satisfaction among U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019
• Satisfaction among U.S. adults who traveled abroad for medical care 2019, by gender
• Top medical tourism countries by destination environment rating 2016
• Top medical tourism countries by industry rating 2016
• Top medical tourism countries by facilities and services quality rating 2016
• Countries U.S. adults would consider traveling to for medical treatment 2019
• Countries U.S. adults had traveled to for medical treatment 2019
• Countries U.S. adults had traveled to for medical treatment 2019, by gender
• Percentage of patients receiving treatment outside Canada 2023, by specialty
• Share of Canadians leaving the country for medical treatments in 2016, by province
• Share of Canadians leaving the country for internal medicine in 2016, by province
• Share of Canadians leaving the country for medical oncology in 2016, by province
• Share of Canadians leaving the country for plastic surgery in 2016, by province

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• Basic Statistic Share of U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment as of 2019
• Premium Statistic U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by race
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• Basic Statistic Share of U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by gender

Surgery price comparisons

• Premium Statistic Cost of a heart bypass in various countries 2019
• Basic Statistic Cost of an angioplasty in various countries 2019
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Reasons and satisfaction

• Basic Statistic Reasons U.S. adults had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019
• Basic Statistic Reasons U.S. adults had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019, by gender
• Basic Statistic U.S. adults who would travel abroad for select medical treatments 2019
• Basic Statistic Medical treatments U.S. adults had traveled abroad for as of 2019
• Basic Statistic Medical treatments U.S. adults had traveled abroad for as of 2019, by gender
• Basic Statistic Satisfaction among U.S. adults who had traveled abroad for medical treatment 2019
• Basic Statistic Satisfaction among U.S. adults who traveled abroad for medical care 2019, by gender

Leading destinations

• Premium Statistic Top medical tourism countries by total index rating worldwide 2020
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Example: Canadians as medical tourists

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• Premium Statistic Estimated earnings and patients in medical tourism in select countries 2011-2012
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• Number of medical tourists from UAE to South Korea 2009-2022
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Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care

Traveling to another country to get medical care can be risky. Learn about the risks and how to minimize them.

Traveling Internationally for Medical Care

Each year, millions of US residents travel to another country for medical care which is called medical tourism. Medical tourists from the United States most commonly travel to Mexico and Canada, and to several other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The reasons people may seek medical care in another country include:

• Cost: To get a treatment or procedure that may be cheaper in another country
• Culture: To receive care from a clinician who shares the traveler’s culture and language
• Unavailable or unapproved procedures: To get a procedure or therapy that is not available or approved in the United States

The most common procedures that people undergo on medical tourism trips include dental care, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and cancer treatment.

Medical Tourism Can Be Risky

The risk of complications depends on the destination, the facility where the procedure is being performed, and whether the traveler is in good health for the procedure(s). Other issues that can increase a traveler’s risk of complications include:

Infectious Diseases.  All medical procedures have some risk of infection. Complications from procedures performed in other countries include wound infections, bloodstream infections, donor-derived infections (in the case of transplantations or transfusions), and diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.

Antimicrobial resistance.   Highly drug-resistant bacteria and fungi have caused disease outbreaks among medical tourists. Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs develop the ability to not respond to drugs such as antibiotics used to treat infections. Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. Healthcare facilities in another country may not have adequate infection control practices and medical tourists could be at risk for getting a drug-resistant infection.

Quality of Care. Some countries’ requirements for maintaining licensure, credentialing, and accreditation may also be less than what would be required in the United States. In some countries, counterfeit medicines and lower quality medical devices may be used.

Communication challenges. Communicating with staff at the destination and healthcare facility may be challenging. Receiving care at a facility where you do not speak the language fluently could lead to misunderstandings about your care.

Air Travel.  Flying after surgery can increase the risk for blood clots, including  deep vein thrombosis . Delaying air travel for 10-14 days following major surgeries, particularly those involving the chest, will minimize risks associated with changes in atmospheric pressure.

Continuity of Care.  Travelers may need to get health care in the United States if they develop complications after returning. Follow-up care for complications might be expensive. Treatment might be prolonged and might not be covered by your health insurance.

How You Can Minimize Medical Tourism Risks

Research the clinician and facility.

• Check the qualifications of the clinician who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the facility where the procedure will be done. Accrediting groups, including Joint Commission International, DNV GL International Accreditation for Hospitals, and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, have lists of standards that healthcare facilities need to meet to be accredited. Please note that all surgeries carry the risk of complications and accreditation does not guarantee a positive outcome.
• If you go to a country where you do not speak the language, determine ahead of time how you will communicate with your clinician and others who will be caring for you.

Before you travel

• Get a pretravel consultation. See your healthcare provider or a travel medicine clinician at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and learn about specific risks you may face because of your health status, the procedure, and travel before and after the procedure.
• Obtain international  travel health insurance  that covers medical evacuation back to the United States.
• Find out what activities are not recommended around the time of the medical procedure, such as swimming or hiking, and plan accordingly.

Maintain your health and medical records

• Bring copies of your medical records with you, including results of lab tests and other tests related to your condition and care. Inform the medical staff at your destination of allergies you may have.
• Pack a  travel health kit  with your prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their original packaging. Bring enough medicine to last your whole trip, plus a little extra in case of delays. Also, bring copies of all your prescriptions and a list of medications you take, including their brand names, generic names, manufacturers, and dosages.
• Get copies of all your medical records from the medical facility at your destination before you return home. You may need to get them translated into English.

Arrange for follow-up care before you travel

• Identify where you will be staying immediately after the procedure.
• Make sure you can get any needed follow-up care in the United States. Follow-up care for medical complications can be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance. Travelers considering procedures outside the United States should understand the potential financial costs associated with follow-up care or emergency care in the event of complications, review their health insurance policies to determine what, if anything, is covered and plan for the possibility of paying for additional care out-of-pocket.
• Supplemental travel health insurance may also be available to cover follow-up or emergency care from procedures received abroad.

Related Resources

• CDC Yellow Book: Medical Tourism
• American Medical Association Ethical Guidance on Medical Tourism
• Organization for Safety, Asepsis, & Prevention's Traveler’s Guide to Safe Dental Care
• The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery guidelines for travelers
• International Travel (US Department of State)
• Your Health Abroad (US Department of State)

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Medical Tourism

The rise of e-health applications in medical tourism: a comprehensive overview.

The medical tourism industry has witnessed significant growth over the past few years, fueled by factors such as affordable and high-quality healthcare services, ease of travel, and the increased demand for specialized treatments. As technology continues to advance, e-health applications are playing an increasingly important role in this thriving sector, providing numerous benefits to patients and healthcare providers alike.

In this comprehensive article, we delve into the world of e-health applications in medical tourism, examining the benefits, challenges, and various technologies that are shaping the future of healthcare for international patients. We also explore the potential impact on industry stakeholders and the role of e-health in improving patient outcomes.

Benefits of E-Health Applications in Medical Tourism

• Improved Access to Healthcare Services: E-health applications facilitate seamless communication between patients and healthcare providers, allowing individuals to access quality healthcare services, regardless of their geographical location. Telemedicine consultations, virtual health platforms, and mobile health (mHealth) applications provide patients with the means to consult with specialists, receive diagnoses, and access treatment plans without the need for physical travel.
• Enhanced Patient Experience: The use of e-health applications empowers patients with personalized healthcare experiences. Through patient portals and mobile applications, individuals can access their medical records, schedule appointments, communicate with healthcare providers, and receive real-time updates on their treatment progress.
• Cost Savings: By leveraging e-health applications, medical tourists can save on travel expenses, accommodation, and the costs associated with prolonged hospital stays. Additionally, healthcare providers can reduce overhead expenses and improve resource allocation, ultimately lowering the overall cost of care.
• Better Patient Outcomes: E-health applications contribute to better patient outcomes by facilitating timely diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. Remote monitoring technologies enable healthcare providers to track patients' progress and make informed decisions regarding their treatment plans.

Challenges of E-Health Applications in Medical Tourism

• Data Security and Privacy Concerns: The increased use of e-health applications raises concerns about the security and privacy of sensitive patient data. Healthcare providers must implement robust data protection measures to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks.
• Regulatory and Legal Issues: The international nature of medical tourism presents a complex landscape of regulatory and legal issues. Healthcare providers must navigate these challenges to ensure compliance with varying standards and regulations across different countries.
• Technological Limitations: Despite the rapid advancement of e-health technologies, certain limitations still exist. These include the need for reliable internet connections, the availability of compatible devices, and the potential for technical difficulties during virtual consultations.

E-Health Technologies in Medical Tourism

• Telemedicine: Telemedicine platforms facilitate virtual consultations, allowing patients to communicate with healthcare providers via video, phone, or chat. This technology has become increasingly popular for pre- and post-treatment consultations, as well as second opinions.
• mHealth Applications: Mobile health applications provide patients with access to medical records, appointment scheduling, medication management, and personalized health tracking. These tools can be especially beneficial for medical tourists as they navigate their healthcare journey in a foreign country.
• Remote Monitoring: Wearable devices and IoT-enabled sensors allow healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients' vital signs and other health indicators. This technology can be particularly useful for medical tourists during their recovery period, enabling healthcare professionals to track patients' progress and make necessary adjustments to their treatment plans.
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs): EHRs are digital versions of patients' medical records, accessible by healthcare providers across different institutions. The use of EHRs in medical tourism streamlines the sharing of vital information between healthcare professionals in different countries, improving the continuity of care for international patients.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI-powered tools can help medical tourists make informed decisions about their healthcare choices, such as selecting the most suitable treatment options, healthcare providers, and destinations. Machine learning algorithms can analyze large datasets, providing personalized recommendations and assisting healthcare providers in optimizing patient care.

Impact on Industry Stakeholders

The integration of e-health applications in medical tourism presents new opportunities and challenges for various industry stakeholders:

• Healthcare Providers: E-health technologies enable healthcare providers to expand their reach, catering to patients from different countries. These tools also help optimize resource allocation, streamline processes, and improve patient outcomes.
• Medical Tourism Facilitators: The adoption of e-health applications creates new opportunities for medical tourism facilitators to enhance their service offerings. By integrating digital health solutions, facilitators can provide added value to their clients, such as assisting with virtual consultations, coordinating follow-up care, and offering personalized support throughout the medical tourism journey.
• Governments and Regulatory Bodies: The rise of e-health applications in medical tourism necessitates the establishment of comprehensive regulatory frameworks and guidelines to ensure the safety, privacy, and security of patients' data. Governments and regulatory bodies must collaborate to create harmonized standards, promoting the responsible use of e-health technologies in the medical tourism sector.
• Patients: E-health applications empower medical tourists with greater control over their healthcare journey. By leveraging digital health solutions, patients can access quality care, achieve better outcomes, and enjoy a more personalized healthcare experience.

E-health applications are rapidly transforming the medical tourism landscape, offering numerous benefits to patients and industry stakeholders alike. As these technologies continue to advance, they hold the potential to further revolutionize the healthcare sector, making quality healthcare more accessible and convenient for patients around the world. However, challenges such as data security, regulatory compliance, and technological limitations must be addressed to ensure the responsible and effective implementation of e-health solutions in medical tourism.

To receive a free quote please click on the link: https://www.medicaltourism.com/get-a-quote

Patients are advised to seek hospitals that are accredited by Global Healthcare and only work with medical tourism facilitators who are certified by Global Healthcare Accreditation or who have undergone certification from the Certified Medical Travel Professionals (CMTP). This ensures that the highest standards in the industry are met. Click the link to check out hospitals accredited by the Global Healthcare Accreditation: https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/

It is recommended that consumers do not share their personal and confidential information on random medical tourism platforms as they may not be secure. Consumers must be cautious when disclosing their private information as some organizations may not protect their privacy and could misuse their information. Additionally, there are agencies that may prioritize their commissions over the well-being of the patients. Consumers should avoid choosing the cheapest price and instead make a thorough comparison across multiple facilitators to make an informed decision.

Exploring the Surge of Cosmetic Tourism: Trends and Considerations in Aesthetic Procedures Abroad

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The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM), known as the “voice” of the medical tourism industry, provides members and key industry experts with the opportunity to share important developments, initiatives, themes, topics and trends that make the medical tourism industry the booming market it is today.

• Open access
• Published: 10 January 2024

Medical tourism among Indonesians: a scoping review

• Gregorius Abanit Asa 1   na1 ,
• Nelsensius Klau Fauk 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Caitlan McLean 1 &
• Paul Russell Ward 1  

BMC Health Services Research volume  24 , Article number:  49 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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International medical travel or medical tourism is not a new phenomenon in many countries, including among Indonesians. Indonesia is reported as a major source of patients from the lower, middle, to upper classes for its neighbouring countries. This scoping review aims to synthesise evidence on supporting factors for Indonesians taking medical tourism and what needs to be improved in Indonesia’s health system.

We conducted a scoping review guided by a framework provided by Arksey and O’Malley. We systematically searched existing literature from 5 databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Wiley. Data were extracted based on study details, study design, characteristics of participants and results. Analysis followed the three-stage procedure outlined by Thomas and Harden: (1) coding the text line by line, interpreting the data and identifying concepts or themes; (2) developing descriptive themes by grouping similar concepts in theme and subtheme and (3) generating analytical themes by reviewing preliminary themes and discussing the addition or revision of themes.

A total of 25 articles were included in this review. The review highlights a broad range of facilitators for medical tourism among Indonesians: (i) availability of health services, medical specialities, and person-centred care, (ii) region adjacency, transport, and health agency, (iii) affordability of medical treatment, (iv) religious and socio-cultural factors, and (v) reasons patients reported distrust in Indonesian doctors.

The findings indicate improvements in the Indonesian health system are necessary if the increasing rates of international medical tourism by Indonesian people are to change. Addressing the factors identified in this scoping review through avenues including policy may increase people’s satisfaction and trust towards health care and treatment in Indonesia, thereby reducing the number of Indonesian people taking medical tourism.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

International medical travel or medical tourism is not a new phenomenon. It refers to the practice of patients travelling overseas for better medical treatment and relaxation [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] and can be traced back to the ancient times when Greek pilgrims travelled from the Mediterranean Sea to Epidaurus, a small territory known as the healing god [ 4 ]. People around the world have travelled to India for Yoga and Ayurvedic healing since the 1500s [ 4 ]. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Europeans travelled to spa towns in the south of France to treat their diseases as well as to enjoy the sun and escape from cold climatic condition [ 5 ]. Since the 19th century, more people have taken international medical travel to treat their diseases [ 6 ]. Medical tourism is correspondent with the growth of global health services, marked by increasing international trade in health products [ 7 ].

Available reports have suggested a significant increase in the volume of international medical travel has occurred since the late 1990s [ 7 ], ranging from thousands to millions every year [ 8 , 9 ]. Asia is among the biggest players driving international medical travel in affordable and high-quality care [ 10 ]. Some Asian countries, such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and India, are considered the major international medical travel destinations [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Thailand has been known as a medical tourism destination since the 1970s [ 15 ]. Malaysia and Singapore have reformed the healthcare system since the 1980s, resulting in improved health quality services attracting people from neighbouring countries [ 16 ]. This is also supported by the advancement of infrastructure and technologies, allowing people to access health services easily and to be well-informed about global health. In the context of Asia, the development of international medical tourism was partly pushed by the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s, particularly caused difficulties and reluctance among many middle class Asia to access private healthcare, resulting in private hospitals generating new sources of revenue by targeting international patients [ 11 , 17 ].

Indonesians have been taking international medical travel to neighbouring countries with better healthcare services for many years. The range of Indonesians health condition treated in neighbouring countries include cardiology treatment (bypass surgery and angioplasty), orthopaedic procedures (knee and hip surgery), cancer treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures (breast augmentation and facelifts), fertility treatment (in-vitro fertilisation and intrauterine insemination), dental treatments, ophthalmology procedures, neurosurgery procedures (brain tumours and spinal surgeries), and urology treatments (kidney stone removal and prostate surgery) [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Studies have reported that Indonesia is a major source of patients from the lower, middle, to upper classes for its neighbour countries [ 23 , 24 , 25 ] and has been the primary revenue contributor for Malaysian (> 75%) and Singapore (60%) medical tourism [ 26 , 27 ]. It is reported that nearly two million Indonesians travelled overseas for medical treatment in 2022 [ 28 ]. Of these, about 1 million travelled to Malaysia, 750,000 to Singapore, and the rest to Japan, the US, Germany and other countries, resulting in Indonesia losing 11.5 billion US Dollars (IDR 170 trillion) annually [ 28 , 29 ]. It is also reported that about 60% of Indonesians who took international medical travel were from Jakarta, 15% were from East Java, and the rest from other cities such as Medan, Batam, and Kalimantan [ 29 ]. Such loss has attracted the Indonesian government’s attention to curb international medical travel, which has started since 2010 by improving health facilities in West Kalimantan to stem people in West Kalimantan from going to Malaysia [ 30 ]. For example, the government invested USD 660,000 to provide magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners in the public Regional General Hospital Soedarso in Pontianak [ 30 ]. In 2012, an agreement between The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Ministry of Health was made as part of the effort to strengthen the partnership with Bali International Medical Centre (BIMC) Hospital and the Courtyard by Marriott Bali Hotel and construct a new hospital equipped with world-class facilities in Sanur, Bali in 2016 [ 23 ].

Internationally, studies have suggested push and pull factors to explain why patients travel internationally for their medical care [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Factors included the cost of care in a person’s home country [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] as well as patients’ concerns about quality of services, care, facilities and a lack of qualified doctors [ 33 , 34 ]. Some findings have also suggested that patients’ decisions for medical tourism are influenced by the availability and ease of travel and transportation to the designated countries and better procedures to access medical treatment [ 8 ]. Perceptions of faster and more convenient services in other countries, and distrust in doctors in home countries are also supporting factors for patients’ medical tourism [ 39 ].

Although there have been some reviews on international medical travel in some settings [ 8 , 39 ], there have been no reviews in the context of Indonesia. The authors considered it important to conduct a scoping review to synthesise evidence on reasons or supporting factors for Indonesians travelling overseas for medical treatment. The review was conducted to address a specific question: what factors facilitate Indonesian patients seeking medical treatment overseas? To determine whether there have been any previous reviews exploring topic of medical tourisms among Indonesians, we conducted a preliminary search in PubMed and CINHAL and found no ongoing or published reviews. This scoping review seeks to identify how Indonesia’s existing health care system could be improved to reduce international medical tourism.

To identify available evidence on the topic, we apply several steps suggested in a framework by Arksey and O’Malley and additional recommendations from Levac and colleagues [ 40 , 41 ]: (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) study selection, (4) charting the data, and (5) accumulating, summarizing, and reporting the results. To guide the search strategy, this review aims to answer the following question: “what are the facilitators for Indonesians taking international medical travel?”.

Search strategy for identifying relevant studies

We developed inclusion and exclusion criteria to guide the search and selection of studies for this review (outlined in Table  1 ). The search included studies from 2000 to July 2023. This timeframe was justified as it aligns with an increase in the rate of international medical travel [ 25 , 34 ]. Data search was conducted from 1 to 10 August 2023 in the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Wiley. These databases were chosen as they are among large citation databases providing access to literatures on health and tourism. The following key concepts were used across the databases: international medical travel/medical tourism, patients/travellers, facilitators, and Indonesian. We developed synonyms of the key concepts for the search. A full description of the search terms used for each database is in the supplementary file 1. The search terms were formulated using the combination of key terms or the synonym of each concept using Boolean terms (OR and AND). We also searched grey literature using the key concepts in google scholar and Google to increase comprehensiveness searching of available evidence. Data from across the databases was exported to Endnote and all duplicates were removed. The authors then screened the articles based on the title and abstract. The researchers (GAA and NKF) completed independent screening and blindly labelled each study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements were resolved by all authors. We also did manual searches of the reference lists of all studies included after screening. An example of a complete search string in Scopus is provided below:

“International medical travel” OR “medical tourism” OR “health tourism” OR “health travel” AND facilitators OR “supporting factors” OR reasons OR “push factors” OR “pull factors” AND patients OR travellers AND indonesia* OR indonesian.

Study selection and screening

Using developed search terms, 649 articles were identified. Of these, 75 were removed due to duplication in endnote software, leaving 572 articles. The remaining articles were screened according to titles and abstracts, resulting in removing 437 articles. We then screened the full texts of the remaining 137 articles. Of these, 118 articles were excluded due to not meeting inclusion criteria. Throughout the screening process, any disagreements were examined through discussion among authors, resulting in 22 articles being included. Three articles were found from the references of the previous literatures, and 3 literatures in Indonesian language were found through google scholar. Finally, 25 literatures were included in the scoping review (Fig.  1 full article screening process).

PRISMA Flow diagram of systematic literature search: records identified, screened, eligible and included in the review

Data extraction and synthesis (charting the data)

An extraction sheet was developed and used to extract the following information from each study: (1) study details: the last name of the first author, year of publication; (2) study design: type of study, study aim and analysis methods; (3) analysis, and (4) results (Supplementary File 2). Data extraction was conducted by GAA and NKF and results were read and discussed by all team members.

Data analysis

Analysis followed the three-stage procedure outlined by Thomas and Harden: [ 42 , 43 ] (1) coding the text line by line, interpreting the data and identifying concepts or themes; (2) developing descriptive themes by grouping similar concepts in theme and subtheme and (3) generating analytical themes by reviewing preliminary themes and discussing the addition or revision of themes. Finally, the major themes relating to Indonesian people undertaking international medical travel were identified and discussed.

Characteristics of included studies

An overview of the characteristics of the included studies can be found in the supplementary file 2. Of the 25 articles discussed in the review, 10 studies used qualitative methods [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ], 12 studies used quantitative methods [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 38 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Additionally, a mixed-method study [ 59 ], a conference review [ 60 ], and a review [ 23 ] were included. The studies included began from 2011 until 2022. 21 studies discussed Indonesian patients accessing medical treatment in Malaysia [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 39 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 55 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ], 4 studies examined Indonesian patients accessing medical treatment in Singapore [ 23 , 36 , 56 , 60 ], and 3 of the studies examined Indonesian patients accessing medical treatment in Thailand [ 23 , 35 , 36 ]. 22 articles were published in English [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 58 ], and 3 articles were published in Indonesian language [ 55 , 56 , 57 ]. Most participants were from middle to upper class background [ 20 , 21 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 47 , 54 , 58 , 61 ]. Participants from low economic status were reported in two studies [ 45 , 54 ]. The occupation of the participants included housewife, student, driver, office clerk, civil servant, professional, business owner, and retired [ 21 , 44 , 45 , 49 , 51 ]. The participants were from Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra, West Java, Nort Sulawesi, Riau, West Sumatra, Aceh, Bangka, and Kalimantan [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 54 , 56 , 58 ].

The review of the included studies is discussed in the following themes: (1) availability of health services, medical specialities, and person-centred care: (2) region adjacency, transport, and health agency: (3) affordability of medical treatment: (4) religious and socio-cultural factors: and (5) reasons patients reported distrust in Indonesian doctors.

Theme 1: availability of health services, medical specialities, and person-centred care

Health facilities and medical specialists.

Several studies reported that the availability of needed medical treatment, advanced medical technology, and medical specialists for specific health issues in other countries, which are not available in Indonesia have been amongst other main reasons for Indonesians travelling overseas for medical treatment [ 20 , 23 , 35 , 36 , 38 , 45 , 47 , 53 , 60 ]. For example, a study with elderly mothers in Medan, North Sumatra reported a lack of medical equipment for heart and stroke in the setting, leading some Medanese taking international medical travel to Penang, Malaysia for medical treatment [ 35 ]. Similarly, another study with married infertile Indonesian couples suggested that the unavailability of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) in healthcare facilities Indonesia is a supporting factor medical tourism among the Indonesian couples [ 36 ]. In addition, sperm and egg donation as well as surrogacy are strictly banned in Indonesia, giving Indonesian couples no choice but to travel overseas to access the required health service. Lack of medical specialists is another challenge in healthcare facilities in periphery regions of Indonesia. Healthcare facilities in periphery of Indonesia is reported to experience shortage of qualified doctors, and difficulties to retain qualified doctors for long term, leading patients to seeking qualified doctors overseas or in neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore [ 45 ]. Such situations are emphasised in Mahendradhata’s study on challenge and risks for healthcare tourism, suggesting that medical specialists, health facilities, and health technicians outside Jakarta are inadequately and unequally distributed, resulting in Indonesians seeking alternative medical treatment overseas [ 23 ].

The knowledge and experiences of well-organised and fast healthcare services in other countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore are also reported as factors attracting Indonesian patients to have medical treatment overseas [ 23 , 37 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 51 , 62 ]. For example, a study reported that it took one day with details clearly explained in a hospital in Penang, Malaysia to be informed about the results of blood test, and four days in Indonesia to receive the results of the same test [ 37 ]. Also, long queues for consultation with medical specialists and disorganised medical records were detrimental for patients’ health, resulting in patients making decision to have medical treatment overseas [ 62 ]. The experiences of complex medical processes and unnecessary requirements had also resulted in disappointment with the hospitals and their services and patients seeking medical treatment overseas [ 45 ]. Meanwhile, the experience of simple ease of making medical appointments with overseas hospitals or doctors from Indonesia through smartphones is also another supporting factor for medical tourism in among Indonesians [ 37 ].

Person-centred care

Several studies reported lack of person-centred care as a supporting factor for Indonesian patients seeking medical treatment overseas [ 45 , 47 , 59 , 62 ]. A study with Indonesian patients in Malaysia and Singapore suggested that patients experienced the feelings of care, respect and positive self-esteem through positive and supporting attitudes and behaviours of medical staffs towards them and their family members during medical treatment [ 45 , 59 ]. Such positive attitudes and behaviours of medical staff are reflected in being cheerful, and smiling while serving, and good communication with patients and their families, which also lead to positive patient-doctor relations [ 62 ]. Thus, studies with Indonesian patients accessing medical treatment in these countries suggested patients felt their dignity being maintained and respected and no frustration due to feeling unimportant or ignored [ 47 ].

Theme 2: region adjacency, transport, and health agency

Geographical and transport factors.

A few studies described several provinces in Indonesia are geographically closer to Malaysia and Singapore than to Jakarta as a supporting factor for Indonesians taking international medical travel to these countries [ 35 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 54 ]. Indonesian patients accessing medical treatment in Penang (Malaysia), were not only from North Sumatra and Aceh but also from Jakarta, East Java, West Java, and other regions in Sumatra [ 54 ]. Patients from Medan and Aceh in Indonesia stated that geographical proximity to Penang-Malaysia and reliability of transport through regular flights and ferries were supporting factors for them taking international medical travel [ 35 ]. These factors were reported to create much more comfortable feeling for Indonesian patients to access medical treatment in Malaysia than in Jakarta, Indonesia [ 44 ]. In addition, some studies reported that Indonesian patients from Kalimantan reached healthcare facilities in Kuching, Malaysia, by bus, taxi and uber (Grab) which are more economical than flying to Jakarta [ 37 , 41 , 44 ]. Taxi drivers were also reported to have knowledge of hospitals for international travellers as they often drove patients from overseas. Taxi drivers shared knowledge such as availability of specialised doctors, further supporting Indonesian patients seeking medical treatment in Malaysia [ 44 ].

Health agency

It was also reported that several Malaysian private hospitals have their official offices in Pontianak, Indonesia, that helped register customers, schedule consultations, and manage complaints [ 45 ]. This was also supported by contractual business between hospitals in Malaysia and certain local companies in Indonesia, acting as “medical representatives” that help facilitate patients to use medical care overseas. Such systems result in successfully recruited an average of 5000 patients per month [ 48 ]. A quantitative study found more than 90% of Indonesians travelling to Malaysia for medical treatment were influenced by marketing promotion programs including word of mouth, advertisements, sales promotion, and public relations [ 58 ]. The regular visitations of Malaysian doctors to Indonesia and holding health exhibition and public talks in temples, churches, and mosques in Indonesia, which introduce and disseminate medical treatment in Malaysia to the Indonesian, were also supporting factors for medical tourism among Indonesians [ 48 ].

Theme 3: affordability of medical treatment

Most of the included studies found that medical treatments in Jakarta and in Kalimantan were more expensive than in Malaysia, another supporting factor for medical tourism for Indonesian people [ 20 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 45 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 60 , 49 ]. For example, chemotherapy in Penang, Malaysia was reportedly cheaper than in Jakarta and Medan, Indonesia [ 37 ]. Patients were reported to receive free health consultation following medical treatment in Malaysia [ 52 ]. Meanwhile, patients in Indonesia tended to be asked for frequent paid visits and consultations with doctors, leading to increased medical costs [ 44 ].

For some Indonesian lower middle class patients, accessing medical treatment overseas was acknowledged to have additional financial burdens for transports and accommodations, however such treatment was still considered worthwhile compared to having treatment in Indonesia [ 45 , 46 ]. While for some Indonesian upper class patients, it is their preference to have medical treatment in Singapore and Thailand due to excellent health system and a very high quality of medical care, irrespective of the cost being more expensive in Singapore than Malaysia [ 36 ].

Theme 4: religious and socio-cultural factors

Studies also reported that the preference to have medical treatment overseas was also influenced by religious reasons, cultural background, and their attitudes towards private and public hospitals in Indonesia [ 35 , 36 , 38 , 60 ]. For example, a study suggested that Indonesian Muslim patients accessed In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Malaysia due to compatible religious backgrounds feeling safer to be treated by Muslim doctors who knew about halal and haram in Islam law [ 36 ]. Similarly, Chinese Indonesian patients felt comfortable seeking medical treatment in Singapore due to its ethnic Chinese majority [ 36 ]. In addition, having a sense of class difference to native Indonesians and the perceptions that Indonesian government hospitals were for native Indonesians, were also reported as supporting factors for Chinese Indonesian patients to choose private hospitals overseas [ 35 ]. Another supporting factor for medical tourism among Indonesia patients is the sense of self-fulfilment for prestige it provides [ 53 ].

Social support from others (i.e., families, friends, and neighbours) through the provision of information about medical treatment overseas was also an enabling factor for Indonesians’ decisions to take international medical travel [ 21 , 22 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 ]. For example, it was reported that around 60% of Indonesian patients took medical travel to Malaysia following recommendation from their families and friends who had either visited or lived there, while some acquired information through the internet (about 14%) and travel agents (around 12%) [ 21 ]. Other findings have also suggested that former Indonesian patients tended to share their experiences and recommended the services of medical specialists in Malaysia to their friends and family [ 45 ]. This is also supported by communication skills of Malaysian doctors in using Chinese dialects when communicating with older Chinese Indonesians [ 45 ].

Language similarities which create easy communication between Indonesian patients and other people or healthcare professionals in Malaysia were also contributing factors for the state of comfort for patients [ 37 , 45 , 59 ]. These were reported to make it easier for Indonesian patients to discuss and describe their health issues to healthcare professionals in Malaysia [ 37 , 45 , 59 ]. In addition, studies also reported that Indonesian patients who travel to Singapore and Thailand were from upper class background and were proficient with English and Chinese languages [ 37 , 59 ].

Theme 5: reasons patients reported distrust in Indonesian doctors

Most of the included studies reported a lack of trust in healthcare professionals as an influencing factor for Indonesian patients travelling overseas for medical treatment [ 35 , 37 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 53 , 49 , 63 ]. A study with patients in Pontianak, Kalimantan reported patients’ comparison of ineffective medications prescribed by Indonesian doctors in Pontianak and in Jakarta with medication received from doctors in Kuching, Malaysia, proving to bring positive progress to their health condition [ 44 ]. The ineffective medication was highlighted as the reasons for their multiple visits and consultations with medical doctors in Indonesia, which decreased their trust in the Indonesian doctors and supported their decision for medical tourism [ 44 ]. Patients’ distrust in Indonesian doctors (i.e., in Pontianak, Kalimantan) was also evidenced by the lack of accuracy in health issue diagnosis, leading to patients seeking a second opinion from doctors overseas and receiving different diagnosis results and treatment and experiencing positive health recovery [ 37 , 44 ]. For some patients, the lack of diagnosis accuracy and ineffective medication had led to long period of medical treatments in Indonesia without progress, which was a supporting factor for them seeking treatment overseas [ 44 ]. A couple of studies have suggested criticism and suspicion held by patients towards Indonesian doctors in Pontianak-Kalimantan. This distrust was linked prescription of a range of all antibiotics to patients without accurate diagnosis of the health issue and the tendency for doctors to overstate or exaggerate patients’ diseases [ 44 , 45 ]. For example, a patient had been scheduled for appendix surgery in Indonesia but was diagnosed with simple constipation in Penang, Malaysia [ 35 ]. The lack of trust and confidence in the Indonesian doctors in some settings had led to Indonesian patients travelling to neighbouring countries for medical treatment. They felt that doctors overseas provided clear information regarding the disease and the percentage of likelihood for a cure while patient’s in the studies reported Indonesian doctors in Pontianak were reported to sometimes hide the truth from them [ 45 , 54 ].

Distrust in doctors has been reported to lead to patients visiting Indonesian doctors only for ‘small things’ or health issues and considering taking international medical travel as a better option [ 35 ]. This is in line with another study reporting that some Indonesian patients did not dare to take risk for operation or surgery in Indonesia due to fear of malpractice or failed operation which may lead to negative outcomes including paralysis [ 46 ]. Negative perceptions towards doctors in Indonesia were also attributed to a claim that doctors easily made money via prescribing varieties of medicine for patients to consume which may potentially have high risks of overdoses [ 47 ]. Similarly, another study found that health professionals in Indonesia were reported as being arrogant, incompetent and untrustworthy, leading patients to express disdain to hierarchical medical culture that seemingly positions patients as passive consumers rather than active recipients [ 63 ].

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first scoping review to synthesise the available evidence on factors supporting international medical travel from Indonesia. It is noted that the number of Indonesian patients from low, middle, and upper class participating in international medical travel has increased in recent years [ 28 , 53 , 64 ]. Our findings suggest that international medical travel by Indonesian patients is linked to five domains:(i) the availability of health services, medical specialities, and person-centred care in the designated countries, (ii) region adjacency, transport, and health agency, (iii) affordability of medical treatment in other countries, (iv) religious and socio-cultural factors, and (v) reasons patients reported distrust in Indonesian doctors.

Overall, our findings have highlighted that patient’s perceive low quality of Indonesian health care and treatment, resulting in Indonesia becoming the major supplier of patients to neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. This scoping review shows that patients seeking medical treatment outside of Indonesia do so due to a number of reported issues, including the unavailability of medical equipment, inadequate qualified doctors, and inadequate trained staff in healthcare facilities in remote and border areas of Indonesia. These factors have been identified as heavily influencing patients’ preferences to seek medical treatment overseas. This scoping review supports previous findings which have reported that Indonesia has a comparably low ratio of qualified doctors to patients, and most prefer to work in private hospitals in urban areas within Indonesia [ 65 , 66 , 67 ], resulting in understaffing and the maldistribution of skilled staff within periphery areas [ 68 , 69 ]. It is suggested that with a population of about 270 million, Indonesia needs 270,000 doctors [ 70 ]. Currently, Indonesia has only 110,000 doctors with the ratio of doctors to patients being 0.6:1000, which is very low compared to other countries, such as Malaysia with the ratio of 2.2:1000 [ 70 ].

Across studies, patients reported feeling frustrated, neglected and that they were not being provided with person-centred care within Indonesian health settings. Further, evidence suggests patients felt undervalued in Indonesian health systems and that their care was not prioritised. This was identified as stemming from factors including sparseness of health facilities, a shortage of qualified doctors, and trained staffs [ 69 , 71 ]. There is also evidence that patients sought more timely health care and treatment overseas as a consequence of long waiting time periods for medical treatment within Indonesia [ 72 ].

Reflecting upon geographical proximity, it is understandable that inequality of health facilities and medical staff distribution between Java and border areas or eastern part of Indonesia has contributed to patients’ decision to take international medical travel to the nearest neighbouring countries. Some regions in Malaysia such as Penang, Melaka, and Kuching are the most popular destinations for Indonesian patients. For example, Kuching can be accessed by air taking about 45 min and by land taking about 10–12 h, allowing lower-middle class patients from West Kalimantan to easily have access to medical services [ 35 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 54 ]. Having treatment in Malaysia is also supported by inexpensive transport costs compared to travel to Jakarta by plane which is 3–5 times more expensive. Reliable transport was also a contributing factor for patients seeking medical treatment overseas due to the convenience it afforded them [ 35 , 38 , 44 ]. Similarly, the reliability of services from health agencies overseas in connecting patients with foreign healthcare providers played a significant role in supporting Indonesian patients’ medical tourism and were reported to have accelerated medical tourism growth in countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand [ 73 , 74 ]. Health agencies were acknowledged to have added values to services, such as arranging pre- and post-treatment, travel arrangements, and scheduling tours in destination countries which increased the appeal of international medical tourism [ 73 , 74 ]. Our findings indicate that Indonesian patients participate in international medical tourism due to having limited access to adequate quality healthcare within the borders of Indonesia. Improvements in the access, coverage, and quality of healthcare throughout Indonesia, (specifically in less urban areas) may reduce the occurrence of international medical tourism and improve patient perception of local health services.

High cost of medical treatment in hospitals in Indonesia was another common theme discussed in the majority of studies [ 20 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 44 , 45 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 60 , 49 ]. Medical treatment in Jakarta, for example, was considered more expensive than in Malaysia which is well known as the most preferred international medical travel destination due to its excellent service and cost affordability [ 15 ]. Our findings suggest that healthcare facilities with modern technologies are also available in some hospitals in big cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, East Java, West Java, and Central Java, however some studies reported issues in the quality of medical services and treatment being offered [ 44 , 45 ]. This seemed to have resulted in an increased tendency for Indonesian patients to travel internationally to seek medical treatment and a second opinion from doctors. Moreover, different diagnostic results and faster recovery time received overseas undoubtedly have increased suspicion and distrust in medical treatment and doctors within Indonesia. Studies reported this was due to inaccurate diagnoses, ineffective medicines, incomprehensive assessment, and patients receiving inconsistent explanations regarding diseases [ 75 , 76 ]. Such negative experiences have shown to have implications on both interpersonal trust in doctors who provide treatment to patients and institutional trust, particularly with the education system that trained the doctors [ 77 , 78 ]. This in turn created negative perceptions towards the country’s health system.

Findings of this review have suggested similarities in religion (Islam) and culture (Malay and Chinese) were also factors that strengthened Indonesian patients’ preferences for medical treatment in other countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore [ 36 , 47 ]. In addition, the growing level of dissatisfaction towards healthcare services in public or government owned hospitals has also become the underlying reason for many Indonesian people from upper class or secure economic backgrounds seeking medical treatment overseas. Our findings strengthen previous reports suggesting a lower satisfaction of patients towards healthcare service and treatment in public hospitals compared to private hospitals in Indonesia [ 79 , 80 ]. The findings imply the need for the improvement of healthcare systems, medical treatments, and service delivery within the Indonesian public hospital sector.

Implication for future intervention

This study emphasises the importance of prioritising the improvement of domestic health systems within Indonesia, particularly within periphery areas. This includes ensuring the equitable distribution of quality healthcare facilities, medical equipment, technology, and the fostering of a strong national healthcare workforce. Increasing the number of medical specialists within Indonesia and improving standards of care nationwide (and not just in urban areas) may promote engagement with Indonesian medical services over international ones. It is anticipated that such improvements would result in increased local service utilisation and reduced medical tourism as patients regain trust in the healthcare system within Indonesia. These findings could also be used to inform Indonesian healthcare workers on patients’ perceptions and concern with care.

Implication for future study

This review suggests that there have been very limited studies involving Indonesian health workers or doctors in peripheral areas. Also, there have been very limited studies involving patients from Jakarta and other regions in Java that have contributed more than 50% of Indonesian patients taking medical tourism. None of the included studies involved policy makers from the Indonesian government and private sectors to explore their perspectives on the increased medical tourism among Indonesians. As there have been millions of Indonesian people travelling overseas for medical treatments, there is a need for further studies exploring the continuity and management of care for the patients returning home to Indonesia. Future studies that address all these aspects are recommended as the results can be used to inform and improve health policy and system and healthcare practice and delivery in Indonesia.

Strength and limitation of the study

Although there are many studies on international medical travel among Indonesian patients, to our knowledge, this is the first scoping review on international medical travel taken by Indonesians. The use of several databases for data search helped researchers identify a broad range of themes on this topic involving Indonesian patients. However, as this review only included articles published in English and Indonesia, we may have missed studies on this topic reported in other languages.

The review presents a range of supporting factors for Indonesian patients taking international medical travel, including the availability of health services, medical specialities, and person-centred care in other countries; region adjacency, transport, and health agency; affordability of medical treatment; religious and socio-cultural factors; and reasons patients reported distrust in Indonesian doctors. The findings indicate improvements in the Indonesian health system are necessary if the increasing rates of international medical tourism taken by Indonesian people is to change. Addressing the factors identified in this scoping review through avenues including policy may increase people’s satisfaction and trust towards health care and treatment in Indonesia, thereby reduce the number of Indonesian people taking medical tourism. The findings also indicate the need for establishment of international standard hospitals.

Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

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Gregorius Abanit Asa, Nelsensius Klau Fauk, Caitlan McLean & Paul Russell Ward

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Asa, G.A., Fauk, N.K., McLean, C. et al. Medical tourism among Indonesians: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res 24 , 49 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10528-1

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• Scoping review
• International medical travel
• Medical tourism
• Medical treatment

BMC Health Services Research

ISSN: 1472-6963

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The future of health tourism in the industrial revolution 4.0 era

Journal of Tourism Futures

ISSN : 2055-5911

Article publication date: 22 May 2020

Issue publication date: 2 June 2021

The technological advances in the Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 era escalate the advancement of the healthcare industry, including the health tourism phenomenon. Based on the current trend in connected health care (e.g. mobile healthcare technology; digital health, etc.), this paper aims to propose that the distance between healthcare providers around the globe and its potential patients can be vastly reduced to almost on a real time basis.

Design/methodology/approach

A secondary literature review is conducted to identify the key development of IR 4.0 technologies in the healthcare industry and its possible trend leading the health tourism sector.

The adoption of IR 4.0 technologies is expected to make seeking treatments overseas more affordable, accessible and health records readily available on a real-time and secured basis. However, it is worth to note that the growth of health tourism raises the eyebrows of society from the security, social and economic perspectives.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to our understanding that the emergence of IR 4.0 technologies changes the landscape of the health care and health tourism industry. Continuous technology advancement is expected to further shape the future trend and escalate the commercialization aspect of the health tourism industry.

• Future trends
• Industrial revolution
• Technologies
• Health tourism

Wong, B.K.M. and Sa’aid Hazley, S.A. (2021), "The future of health tourism in the industrial revolution 4.0 era", Journal of Tourism Futures , Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 267-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-01-2020-0006

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Brian Kee Mun Wong and Sarah Alia Saaid Hazley.

Published in Journal of Tourism Futures . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

Healthcare is a robust industry, which is tightly related to other sectors such as travel and tourism, wellness and information, communication and technology. The merging of health care and travel sectors has seen it become a prominent movement in the past decade or so. It has created a phenomenal enhancement in human mobility worldwide. In fact, the concept of healthcare travel has its history dating back to the ancient times when people travelled places, searching far and wide, for the best healthcare services.

Ancient civilizations conceded the therapeutic effects of thermal medicine, hot springs and sacred temple baths ( Gianfaldoni et al. , 2017 ). The earliest health complexes within a hot springs’ vicinity were built by the Sumerians (about 4000 BC), whereas the ancient Greeks built the Asclepia Temple in honour of their God of Medicine, Asclepius ( Health-Tourism.com, 2020 ). The temple formed one of the world’s first health centers where people from different parts of the world travelled to seek solutions for their medical ailments. The ancient Greeks laid the first foundation of a comprehensive healthcare travelling network ever since.

In the modern era, healthcare traveling has evolved to include well-being enhancement and leisure, as patients require time to recuperate and recover. The evolution has obligated destination marketers to relook into the purpose of healthcare travelers when visiting a destination. The combination of health care, travel, tourism and wellness concepts eventually created the concept of health tourism. The term, “health tourism” or “medical tourism” has been used since the 17th century ( Yusof et al. , 2019 ). In fact, health tourism, medical tourism and wellness tourism are commonly used interchangeably, and perhaps it is essential to note that each of the terminologies is, in fact, different ( Wong and Musa, 2013 ). Health tourist, thus, in this context, is defined as tourist who travel elsewhere to seek and receive health, medical and/or wellness services for different reasons.

Health care has always been evolving gradually with its medical technologies ( Allen, 2019 ; Lobo, 2020 ), however new diseases are always demanding for new treatments and these treatments are not always offered at one’s preferred area or location. Hence, the technology advancement is not only enhancing medical precision and quality but also bringing healthcare services closer and faster to the patients, revolutionizing the healthcare travelling requirements. Health tourism has gradually integrated the demand for sophisticated and cultivated medical treatments and of the devices above par the personalized ones ( Bhattacharyya, 2020 ; Hong, 2016 ; Medical Technology, 2020 ). The Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) is a much talked about term in this current technology-dominated economy.

While the first IR introduced the use of steam-powered and mechanics to increase production, the Industry 2.0 popularized the electricity and mass-production processes. The third IR brought the first wave of digitalization of technology, enhancing economies to go beyond political and geographical boundaries and at a faster speed. The latest, fourth IR, is an advancement of Industry 3.0 where the physical, digital and biological spheres are connected ( Bernasconi, 2016 ), continues to disrupt business practices and the society’s ways of life. Among the IR 4.0 technologies include Internet of Things (IoT), automation, robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud solutions and big data analytics. Despite the technology advancements not only benefits the development of health tourism industry but also the tourism industry, in general; this paper focuses on the earlier context.

IR 4.0 is shaking the healthcare industry by storm with a robust transformation within the mobility enhancement concept ( Landman, 2018 ). This mobile health care is expected to make health care more affordable, accessible and health records readily available and secure. Some of mobile healthcare devices and infrastructure that helps to shape the future include telemedicine, wearables, digital sensors and biotelemetry, remote patient monitoring, virtual rehabilitation and intelligent fabric. It has not only benefited many patients but also enabled healthcare providers to streamline processes, synthesize information and provide real-time updates. The latest innovation in healthcare technologies will provide a much competitive advantage, especially in developing faster and more effective treatment ( Bernasconi, 2016 ).

Telemedicine is among the initial stage of IT-enabled collaboration within the healthcare industry. The benefit of implementing telemedicine has been widely appreciated by healthcare professionals particularly in managing chronic diseases. It enhances patients’ mobility virtually, making geographical location less of a factor in obtaining healthcare services. This enables patients from remote areas to access the best health care from a touch of their smart phone. A research conducted at Mayo Clinic, USA, revealed an astonishing acceptance level of mobile technology, where more than 80% of the patients indicated interest in using mHealth applications. In 2011, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services recognized mHealth services as one of the biggest health-related technology ( Nehra et al. , 2017 ).

The technology is very much relevant and useful for health tourism, particularly in enhancing the process of pre- and post-operative care, in both medical and customer service perspectives ( Medical Tourism Magazine , 2020 ). Tele-consultations can be performed remotely by anesthesiologists and surgeons to assess health tourists’ healing and wound recovery process even when they reside in their home country. Healthcare professionals at the health tourism destination can follow-up with the patients’ local primary care providers in their home country via teleconferencing and/or telehealth applications. For example, the online-based Chinese American Physicians E-Hospital was launched in 2015, providing health tourists the tele-consultation services and international transfer from their home country to the USA for treatment. This enables more convenient and hassle-less health tourism experience to the USA ( Hong, 2016 ).

The mobile health care further innovates into related digitalized products such as wearables, digital sensors and biotelemetry. Among the diagnostic procedures to perform digitally via wearable devices and sensors include blood glucose levels, electrocardiogram, pulse and blood pressure checking and blood oxygen saturation levels. The data collected digitally will then connect to the mobile application installed in the user’s (i.e. health tourist) smart phone. Regular health progress can be transmitted to the health care professionals and in return proactive measures for better health control can then be recommended to the users, digitally and remotely.

IoT is conquering every aspect of human life and work environment. This is no exception to the healthcare industry. In fact, the term of Internet of Medical Things was highlighted by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (2020) during the 12th annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress in 2019. The wearables and sensors that form part of IoT are indicated to be beneficial to healthcare professionals are gaining effective benefits ( Junata and Tong, 2018 ). The use of fitness-tracking bands, smart watches and smart textile can easily collect data on patients’ health conditions and connect with the healthcare professionals in other parts of the world. While these technological devices may apply to any individuals, the usage is prominent for health tourists who may opt to have follow-up with their doctors in another country remotely, as data can be transmitted to them on real-time basis ( Psiha and Vlamos, 2017 ).

The data from the sensor was then transmitted via IoT sensor platform, to a dedicated android app developed on a Google Nexus 5X smart phone. However, the development is yet to be compatible with smart phone options. An example of such technology usage in health care is the cloud-based wearable IoT sensor systems that measure asthma patients’ exposure to aldehydes, in real-life settings ( Li et al. , 2019 ). The recent 5G medical technology development further enhances the patterns of production and consumption of health tourism services, such as smart wearables (e.g. clothes that measure heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, skin moisture, etc.) and active device location tracking ( Psiha and Vlamos, 2017 ). Such development is highly applicable and useful for health tourism, as it allows continuous communication and data updates through cloud computing between the health tourists (at home country) and the healthcare professionals (at health tourism destination).

Next, the virtual rehabilitation application will also be benefiting the health tourism industry. It is a system that integrates wearable sensors and records range of motion. The data are analyzed for the therapists to guide the patients in real time via a mobile device (e.g. tablet, smart phone). The National University of Singapore has launched an IoT-based rehabilitation program for stroke patients in 2016. However, there are very few studies on the adoption rate of these innovations among local communities and health tourists, seeing Singapore as among the top health tourism destinations globally.

Other rehabilitation technologies include robotics ( Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, 2020 ; Mann, 2013 ) (e.g. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi implemented robotic surgery since 2017) and assistive technology (AT) ( Carlson and Ehrlich, 2005 ). In fact, AT plays an intermediary role where it enables disabled individuals (e.g. severe paralysis) to transmit their messages/intentions to other devices (e.g. computers) within their surrounding environment ( Ghovanloo and Huo, 2014 ). These technologies further upscale the offerings and competitiveness of health tourism destinations to lure health tourists.

Despite AI has existed sometimes back, the application of it in the healthcare industry is still at the infant stage. The behavioural and mental healthcare fields use AI to learn, understand and reason to make better clinical decisions, diagnostics, testing and patient care management. Besides, AI technologies and techniques also enhance patients’ lives via advance self-care tools. For example, the interactive mobile health applications study the patterns and preferences of users. By doing so, the AI may improve public health through the detection of health risks and recommending interventions.

The use of AI enables the interactions between health professionals and care seekers at a distant, providing necessary treatment recommendations ( Luxton, 2016 ), a very useful communication and interaction tool between health tourists and the healthcare professionals overseas. In stepping up Abu Dhabi as a unique health tourism destination, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken AI seriously in regulating the development of its healthcare industry by introducing the first AI policy, tabling out the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy and announcing it world’s first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.

The integration of IR 4.0 technologies in general healthcare industry will benefit health tourism development as it will revolutionize patients’ travel options and patterns, particularly for the initial checking and later follow-up stages. Such benefit becomes more significant among the elderlies and those who may have mobility issue to travel. Digitalized and connected health care saw increased investment over the past few years and the widespread use of technology-enabled health care further making the idea of “Smart Hospital” a reality (Frost and Sullivan, 2017 ). The call for the use of blockchain technology to enhance the safety and effective use of health data within the health tourism industry gained attention in the recent years ( Iryo.network, 2018 ). The use of technology may free up face-to-face appointments for health tourists, particularly for follow-up sessions after returning to their home country, and thus generate more convenient and cost-effective experience.

The freer mobility of health tourists around the globe has relatively changed the requirements of demand and supply of healthcare products and services. It is no longer the developed nations that can reap the commercial benefits of the health tourism growth but also the developing nations. Though health tourism remains a niche contribution to the total tourism receipts of many destinations, the direct and indirect effects on the overall tourism industry is well appreciated ( NaRanong and NaRanong, 2011 ). For example, the multiplying effects of health tourism towards other tourism sectors (e.g. hotels, airlines, food and beverages) have been reported to be between three to four times in Malaysia ( Yusof, 2017 ). Thus, the growth of health tourism should be given ample attention for nations with a strong and competitive healthcare services.

Healthcare know-how and technologies are available in many parts of the world. The availability of IR 4.0 technologies also enhances expert mobility (e.g. doctors, nurses, professors and care takers) virtually and further enhances the readiness of developing nations to receive its health tourists with an open hand. Perhaps, with the adoption of IR 4.0 technologies among the health tourism facilities, health tourists may not necessarily require physical movement elsewhere anymore in seeking and receiving health services, such as simple health checks or health advice.

While it is believed that these technologies benefit patients in terms of precision and timeliness, the key concerns raised by critics include the absence of empathy and lack of trust in a robot’s decision-making ( Lobo, 2020 ; Tim, 2018 ). Other concerns of incorporating technologies into health tourism specifically may include data leakages, privacy matters, cybersecurity and over-commercialization concerns ( Medical Technology, 2020 ). While the growth of health tourism is prominent, it is also essential to take note of its impact on the local healthcare system, healthcare resources management, cost-containment strategies and post-humanism matters.

The recent corona virus pandemic that puts global travelling almost to a halt is a good example of why the future of health tourism should evolve through the technology advancement, specifically the IR 4.0 technologies as available currently. Health care is no longer just about local accessibility but cross-national borders, be it physically or virtually.

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NaRanong , A. and NaRanong , V. ( 2011 ), “ The effects of medical tourism: Thailand’s experience ”, available at: www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/5/09-072249/en/ (accessed 13 April 2020 ).

Nehra , A. , Gettman , M. , Rivera , M. , Agarwal , D. , O’Neil , D. , Jenkins , S. and Viers , B. ( 2017 ), “ Patients are willing to utilize wearable devices for their care: a survey of perceptions and acceptance of wearable technology for health monitoring in a urological patient population ”, Urology Practice , Vol. 4 No. 6 , pp. 508 - 514 , doi: 10.1016/j.urpr.2016.10.002 .

Psiha , M.M. and Vlamos , P. ( 2017 ), “ IoT applications with 5G connectivity in medical tourism sector management: third-party service scenarios ”, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology , Vol. 989 , pp. 141 - 154 , doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-57348-9_12 .

Tim , W. ( 2018 ), “ Health tourism today and into the future ”, available at: http://dihtf.com/wp-content/uploads/presentations/DrTim%20Wilson%20-%20Health%20Tourism%20today%20and%20into%20the%20future.pdf (accessed 31 October 2019 ).

Wong , K.M. and Musa , G. ( 2013 ), “ ‘Medical tourism in Asia: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and India, chapter 11’ ”, in Hall , C. M. (Ed.), Medical Tourism: The Ethics, Regulation, and Marketing of Health Mobility , Routledge , London and New York, NY , pp. 167 - 186 .

Yusof , N. , Rosnan , H. and Zamzuri , N. ( 2019 ), “ Internationalisation process of medical tourism industry in Malaysia, a sequential approach ”, Revista Publicando , Vol. 6 No. 19 , pp. 448 - 462 .

Yusof , A. ( 2017 ), “ Revenue expected to exceed RM2b ”, available at: www.nst.com.my/business/2017/11/299817/revenue-expected-exceed-rm2b (accessed 13 April 2020 ).

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to appreciate UOW Malaysia KDU University College for providing Research Grant to conduct this study.

Corresponding author

About the authors.

Brian Kee Mun Wong is based at the School of Business, UOW Malaysia KDU University College, Shah Alam, Malaysia.He is an Associate Professor and has a PhD in Tourism Management from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He currently heads the School of Business at the UOW Malaysia KDU University College. He is a marketing, management and entrepreneurship research enthusiast, particularly in the area of travel, tourism and hospitality.

Sarah Alia Sa’aid Hazley is based at the School of Business, UOW Malaysia KDU University College, Shah Alam, Malaysia. She is an Undergraduate and a Research Assistant at the UOW Malaysia KDU University College. She has an interest in cross-discipline research such as fintech, marketing and tourism.

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What is health tourism and why is it growing?

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Health tourism is a growing trend around the world. But what is health tourism and why is it so popular? Read on to find out…

What is health tourism?

The growth of health tourism, why is health tourism important, health tourism activities, health tourism- further reading.

Health tourism is a tricky one to define. It is more of an umbrella term, encompassing both wellness tourism and medical tourism. These two types of tourism may seem quite different, but they both fundamentally have health at their core. So, health tourism can be defined as follows:

Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy their own needs and function better as individuals in their environment and society.

This definition comes from an executive summary published by the World Tourism Organization and the European Travel Commission in 2018. As you can see, the exploration of health tourism in itself is a relatively new idea. The two organisations also provided the following definitions of wellness and medical tourism respectively:

Wellness tourism is a type of tourism activity which aims to improve and balance all of the main domains of human life including physical, mental, emotional, occupational, intellectual and spiritual. The primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy eating, relaxation, pampering and healing treatments.       

Medical tourism is a type of tourism activity which involves the use of evidence-based medical healing resources and services (both invasive and non-invasive). This may include diagnosis, treatment, cure, prevention and rehabilitation.   

There are many reasons as to why health tourism as an industry is growing. People are keener than ever to put their health and wellbeing first – especially now we are 2 years into a global pandemic. As a population , we are more aware now than ever before how our health can hang in the balance. And just knowing this, coupled with all of the other changes brought about by the pandemic as well as the general ease of accessing information, mean that life is generally more stressful. So it is no wonder that we are looking for wellness trips to calm and soothe ourselves – and to affordable and accessible medical procedures that may be unavailable at home…

The UK sees health tourism as a distinct and negative phenomenon. The media uses the term to refer to people who travel to the UK deliberately in order to access free medical treatment from the National Health Service. This is seen as leeching off the state, and as you can imagine is particularly frowned upon by many in the country. However, reports show that the government estimates ‘health tourism’ costs the NHS only £300m annually – or 0.3% of their budget! But due to this, new laws are in place to charge people who do not ‘ordinarily reside’ in the UK if they use the NHS.

Health tourism is important for many reasons. Looking at it from an economical point of view, it provides a boost to local economies when people travel to a destination for any reason. So heading to a summer yoga retreat in Santorini or getting some dental work done in Turkey is contributing to the local economy. And it’s not just the cost of your treatment or stay – you will also purchase food and drink, maybe even souvenirs. You might extend your trip and do some sightseeing with local tour companies too. All of these things mean a cash injection for the area and its inhabitants.

Linked to this is that health tourism often provides a cheaper opportunity to do something you were going to do at home. Travelling for optional surgery or going to a small spa in a remote village might be much cheaper than doing so in your home country. In this way, health tourism actually provides people with a way to save money.

Health tourism is also important as it is a reflection of my earlier point – people are taking more of an interest in their health. Regardless of whether it’s wellness tourism or medical tourism, health tourists are travelling with the primary focus of improving their mind, body or life in some way. This is obviously a positive factor for society.

As health tourism combines wellness and medical tourism, the activities it involves are anything which falls under these categories. Essentially, anything you do as a tourist which is aimed at improving your health is classed as health tourism. See a list of activities below:

• Dental/dentistry
• Orthopedics
• Cosmetic/plastic surgery
• Bariatric surgery 
• Fertility treatment
• Eye surgery
• Ears, nose and throat
• Organ transplants
• Rehabilitation
• Alternative medication access
• Yoga retreats
• Writing retreats
• Meditation centres
• Weight loss or healthy eating retreats
• Sensory deprivation

Popular health tourism destinations

There are many destinations you can visit as a health tourist. Your home country may also be a health tourism location for people from other countries. It is all contextual and subjective, depending on what exactly you are looking to get out of your trip…

This is a popular place for health tourism – particularly when it comes to wellness. With its geothermal pools, breathtaking scenery, infinity pools and mountain hiking areas the options are endless! A very popular part of Iceland for wellness activities is Myvatn Nature Baths, where the alkaline in the water has a lot of minerals and is incredibly beneficial for the treatment of skin conditions. Because of this, it can also be seen as a destination which works for medical purposes – making it a dead cert for health tourism.

Ever heard of the saying ‘Turkey teeth’? It doesn’t come from nowhere! The reason this term exists is because many people (particularly younger people, celebrities, and influencers) flock to Turkey to have dental treatment done for cosmetic purposes. They want straighter, whiter and brighter teeth. Something like this might cost double or triple in the UK, for example, than what it would in Turkey. Plus, visitors get to combine their trip with sun, sea and sand!

India is a big one for health tourism as it has a big wellness tourism industry combined with many options for medical tourists to have cheaper procedures done. Being such a spiritual country, it is no wonder that people come here for wellness purposes. The Indian government readily promotes the country as a hub for yoga, Sidha, naturopathy and Ayurveda – citing the ‘spiritual philosophy that has been integral to the Indian way of life’. There are retreats right across the country, particularly in countryside areas but also in the bustling cities which mean it works for both primary AND secondary wellness tourism.

Primary wellness tourism is when someone’s whole trip is focused on wellness; it is their sole reason for travel, and the major component of their trip. Every aspect of their holiday is tailored to wellness. Secondary wellness tourism is when general tourists incorporate some aspect of wellness (a massage on the beach during an all-inclusive Mexican vacation) into their holiday.

India is also a huge destination when it comes to medical tourism. Locations such as Chennai, Maharashtra and Kerala are really popular for medical procedures, with costs being about one tenth of those in either the UK or the USA. Medical tourists travel to India for alternative medicine, cardiac procedures, bone-marrow transplants, eye surgery and hip replacements in particular.

Beautiful Hawaii is like one big spa in itself. Primary wellness tourists visit here in droves to experience the therapeutic salt water, the laid back atmosphere, the glorious sunshine and the traditional practices of omilomi massage and pohaku (hot stone treatment). With scenery that will leave you lost for words, it is one of the most relaxing places in the world which is why wellness tourism is so big here – and so, by extension, is health tourism.

This stunning country has cutting edge technology and beautiful spaces to relax – making it ideal for health tourism encompassing both wellness and medical tourism. People tend to head here for small elective surgeries, choosing to get the procedure done for a lower price and recover somewhere beautiful! And there are so many options for wellness tourists, too. From Thai massage parlours to serene meditation retreats on beaches where the sunsets are bright pink and shiny gold, you couldn’t ask for somewhere more suited to a relaxing wellness trip.

If you enjoyed this article on health tourism, I am sure that you will like these too-

• What is birth tourism and is it legal?
• What is special interest tourism and why is it so popular?
• What is alternative tourism and why is it growing so fast?
• What is dental tourism and why does it exist?

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Surge in Adventure Tourism: Four Big Trends in 2024

Jesse Chase-Lubitz , Skift

April 17th, 2024 at 12:00 PM EDT

New data shows that experiences are the leading factor when choosing a destination.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz

The latest consumer spending data from GetYourGuide reveals a surge in demand for unique travel experiences and activities that align with personal passions.

The report analyzes booking data from millions of travelers and highlights a significant shift in travel priorities. Here are the key takeaways:

Experiences Rule

Travelers are prioritizing experiences over traditional sightseeing. Nearly all travelers (90%) plan to spend the same or more on activities in 2024, and experiences are now the leading factor when choosing a destination (reported by 98% of travelers). 

Passion Drives Destinations

The hottest travel destinations are no longer just about iconic landmarks. Cities like Fajardo, Puerto Rico (up 419% in bookings by American travelers) and Hoi An, Vietnam (up 284% globally) are experiencing a boom, likely due to their unique cultural offerings and adventure opportunities.

Globally Inspired

Travelers are venturing beyond the usual suspects. This year’s top trending tours include the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, kayaking through El Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico, and even a hot air balloon ride over Interlaken, Switzerland.

The Rise of the Explorer  

GetYourGuide identifies a new breed of traveler – the “Explorer” – who spends more on experiences, takes longer trips, and travels more frequently. These high-value vacationers are fueling the experience economy.

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Tags: getyourguide , tourism , Travel Experiences , Travel Trends

Photo credit: GetYourGuide Walking Tour in London. Source: GetYourGuide

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National Integrated Drought Information System

Pacific Northwest DEWS Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar: April 22, 2024

These webinars provide the region's stakeholders and interested parties with timely information on current and developing drought conditions, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers also discuss the impacts of these conditions on things such as wildfires, floods, disruption to water supply and ecosystems, as well as impacts to affected industries like agriculture, tourism, and public health.

For more information, please contact Jason Gerlich ( [email protected] ).

Webinar Introduction

Speaker: Britt Parker | NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

• This bi-monthly webinar is co-hosted by NIDIS, the USDA Northwest Climate Hub, and the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI).
• Introduction of today's speakers.
• Highlight 1: Welcome Jason Gerlich ( [email protected] ), the new Pacific Northwest DEWS Coordinator.
• Highlight 2:  Submit your Drought Impacts!  

Climate Recap and Current Conditions

Speaker: Karin Bumbaco | Office of the Washington State Climatologist, University of Washington

• Water Year 2024 has had above-normal temperatures in the Pacific Northwest with more regional variability in precipitation.
• The PNW has seen a more consistent drier signal region-wide in last 30-60 days
• Washington has much-below-normal snowpack, with a state drought declaration.
• Snowpack is normal to above normal in Oregon and southern Idaho.
• Oregon and southern Idaho are looking much better with higher snowpack and good reservoir storage.

Seasonal Conditions & Climate Outlook

Speaker: Amy Burke | NOAA’s National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center

• Water year to date precipitation and current snowpack are stratified geographically, with well-below-normal conditions in the north to well-above-normal conditions in the south.
• Some warm spells this past month have melted off mid- to lower-elevation snow.
• April–September water supply forecasts largely mimic precipitation and snow conditions, with extremely dry forecasts in the north (Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin) and very wet forecasts in the south.
• The Climate Prediction Center’s 3-month outlook predicts dry and warm conditions.

Who, What, and Where? Key Considerations for Effective Freshwater Protection in a Changing Climate 

Speaker: Rebecca Flitcroft | U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station

• Identify gaps in protections.
• Measure and map freshwater protected areas.
• Not ONE protected area: a  MOSAIC  of protections.
• Co-locate protected areas.
• Expand objectives of existing protected areas.
• Monitoring is key to evaluating effectiveness of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.

Q&A and Conclusion

Speaker: Britt Parker, NOAA/NIDIS

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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Metallurgicheskii Zavod Electrostal AO (Russia)

In 1993 "Elektrostal" was transformed into an open joint stock company. The factory occupies a leading position among the manufacturers of high quality steel. The plant is a producer of high-temperature nickel alloys in a wide variety. It has a unique set of metallurgical equipment: open induction and arc furnaces, furnace steel processing unit, vacuum induction, vacuum- arc furnaces and others. The factory has implemented and certified quality management system ISO 9000, received international certificates for all products. Elektrostal today is a major supplier in Russia starting blanks for the production of blades, discs and rolls for gas turbine engines. Among them are companies in the aerospace industry, defense plants, and energy complex, automotive, mechanical engineering and instrument-making plants.

Headquarters Ulitsa Zheleznodorozhnaya, 1 Elektrostal; Moscow Oblast; Postal Code: 144002

Contact Details: Purchase the Metallurgicheskii Zavod Electrostal AO report to view the information.

Website: http://elsteel.ru

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