The popularity of medical tourism has matured substantially over the last few decades due to escalating medical costs, advancements in medical technology, and reduced travel costs. The significance of medical marketing has thus become vital for hospitals to lure domestic and global patients, designate their brand, and boost awareness about life-saving treatments delivered by distinctive hospitals across the globe. Even though medical tourism has acquired growing interest, prior research has been limited in scope, particularly in studying the industry's marketing aspects. Because of this, comprehending the target market is vital. To address this need, this chapter aims to answer two research questions: RQ1, What key themes, study characteristics, study contexts, and methodologies are investigated in medical tourism marketing research studies?; RQ2, What future research avenues in medical tourism marketing exist for scholars across diverse fields? This chapter thoroughly synthesizes existing medical tourism marketing literature and pinpoints future research opportunities.
Top1. Introduction
The medical tourism industry has undergone a rapid transition within the tourism industry since patients travel outside of specified cross-border care contracts to fetch medical benefits abroad. This practice is commonly paid for out-of-pocket and is a fast-growing sector (Ramirez de Arellano, 2007; Johnston et al., 2010; Crooks et al., 2011; Han & Hyun, 2015; Rahman et al., 2022) and is often referred to as “Medical tourism” (Johnston et al., 2010). The success of medical tourism relies on the effective communication of medical treatment opportunities, healthcare establishments, tourism prospects, travel arrangements, and destination countries to potential patients through diverse marketing strategies (Chinai & Goswami, 2007; Howze, 2007; Crooks et al., 2011). Furthermore, several countries globally are positioning themselves to attract visitors seeking accessible, affordable, and more readily available healthcare services. Consequently, effective marketing strategies have become increasingly substantial for medical tourism businesses to flourish in the competitive global medical tourism landscape (Heung et al., 2011; Connell, 2013; Han, 2013). Moreover, the fundamental concern for marketing practitioners in this medical tourism sector is attracting new medical travelers through suitable marketing practices and encouraging them to make repeat visits and avail of medical treatments via service efforts and effective marketing strategies (Han, 2013).
Previous studies have discovered that several factors, such as government policies and regulations, medical treatment costs, governmental funding, healthcare infrastructure, and community necessities, can significantly impact medical tourism marketing practices in terms of perceived value and revisit intention (Kim & Oh, 2021; Pighin et al., 2022; Rahman et al., 2022). Besides, the niche medical tourism market is expanding due to medical advancements and enhanced well-being, and hospitals and medical tour operators must embrace effective marketing practices to advertise their medical treatment services effectively (Cham et al., 2022; Saiprasert et al., 2022). Regardless, with the mounting number of medical establishments and world-class infrastructure in diverse countries globally, it can be difficult for medical tourists or patients to find the most promising contemporary hospitals and well-trained physicians who invariably deliver high-quality medical treatment services. In this context, effective marketing practices are vital in publicizing to potential patients and medical tourists seeking medical treatment opportunities, tourism prospects, and additional pertinent information on medical tourism (Pighin et al., 2022; Abdul-Rahman et al., 2023). Hence, the survival and success of the medical tourism industry hinge on effective marketing strategies that prioritize broadcasting to potential patients and medical tourists about the available medical treatment opportunities and tourism possibilities. Medical establishments and practitioners can ensure survival and build an advantage in the increasingly competitive global medical tourism industry.