A comparative analysis of the economic, social and institutional aspects of the development of medical tourism in different countries, using examples from Southeast and South Asia
This article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the economic, social and institutional dimensions of the development of medical tourism in various countries, using examples from Southeast and South Asia. It examines trends in the development of medical tourism since the mid-20th century and identifies the challenges and distinctive characteristics of medical tourism markets in relation to cultural diversity and national regulatory peculiarities. Particular focus is given to exploring the positive and negative aspects of medical tourism, examining the dynamic changes in patient preferences and geographic mobility patterns, as well as the economic contribution of medical tourism to national economies. Medical tourism significantly influences the global economy and healthcare systems, thus necessitating improvements in regulatory frameworks and quality control of medical services. The article conducts a comparative analysis of medical tourism trends and practices, particularly in India, Thailand, and Malaysia, and evaluates the pros and cons of state regulation and market mechanisms. The findings demonstrate that the efficient development of medical tourism hinges on clear legal norms, transparent information dissemination and the integration of digital technologies. The importance of government influence on setting professional standards and promoting national medical tourism brands on the global stage is emphasised. There is a need to enact legislative acts and uniform criteria for assessing the quality of medical services in order to increase confidence among foreign patients and strengthen the international competitiveness of Russian medical institutions. The negative phenomena associated with medical tourism are examined, including the risk of reducing the efficiency of local healthcare systems, breaching legal norms and creating communication barriers. The author argues for advancing regulatory frameworks and state-supported initiatives that focus on integrating innovative management approaches and digital interactions with patients, as well as introducing international standards into the Russian medical tourism system. The potential for involving different regions of Russia in medical tourism is discussed, with the aim of alleviating pressure on major urban centres and enhancing the competitiveness of medical tourism services in global markets.
Tarasenko, E. V. (2025), “A comparative analysis of the economic, social and institutional aspects of the development of medical tourism in different countries, using examples from Southeast and South Asia”, Research Result. Business and Service Technologies, 11 (4), pp.
While nobody left any comments to this publication.
You can be first.
Akın Akpur, K.E. (2024), "Evaluating ChatGPT's Role in Assessing Turkey's Medical Tourism Trends," Jordan Medical Journal, Supplement 1, vol. 58, pp. 292-310, DOI: https://doi.org/10.35516/jmj.v58i4.3142.
Beladi, H., Chao, C.-C., Ee, M.S. & Hollas, D. (2015), “Medical Tourism and Health Worker Migration in Developing Countries”, Economic Modelling, Vol. 46, Apr., pp. 391–396. doi: 10.1016/j.econmod.2014.12.045.
Bezruchka, S. (2000), “Medical Tourism as Medical Harm to the Third World: Why? For Whom?”, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 11, pp. 77–78.
Bishop, R.A. & Litch, J.A. (2000), “Medical Tourism Can Do Harm”, BMJ (British Medical Journal), Vol. 320, Apr. 8.
Chang, I.-C., Chou, P.-C., Yeh, R.K. & Tseng, H.-T. (2015), “An Exploratory Study on Factors Influencing Chinese Tourists' Intention to Use the Taiwan Medical Travel App”, Telematics and Informatics, doi: 10.1016/j.tele.2015.09.007.
Chen, I.-A.O., Zuo, Y., Xu, S., Law, R. & Zhang, M. (2023), “Dimensions of the Health Benefits of Wellness Tourism: A Review”, Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 13, 1071578 p. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1071578.
Chuang, T.C., Liu, J.S., Lu, L.Y.Y. & Lee, Y. (2014), “The Main Paths of Medical Tourism: From Transplantation to Beautification”, Tourism Management, Vol. 45, pp. 49–58.
De la Hoz-Correa, A., Muñoz-Leiva, F. & Bakucz, M. (2018), “Past Themes and Future Trends in Medical Tourism Research: A Co-Word Analysis”, Tourism Management, Vol. 65, pp. 200–211.
Grudtsyna, N.A. & Chistobaev, A.I. (2024), “Marketing Strategies for Promoting Global and Regional Medical Tourism Markets”, Geographical Bulletin, 3(70), pp. 162–177, doi: 10.17072/2079-7877-2024-3-162-177.
Klímová, B. & Kuča, K. (2020), “Medical Tourism: Its Research and Implications for Public Health”, Central European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 28, Iss. 3, pp. 226–229. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a5744.
Medhekar, A. (2013), Government Initiatives for Developing Medical Tourism: India, Singapore, and Australia, Proceedings of the 2nd Annual International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality Research (THoR 2013), July. DOI: 10.5176/2251-3426_THoR13.04.
Moghavvemi, S., Ormond, M., Musa, G., Mohamed Isa, C.R., Thirumoorthi, T., Bin Mustapha, M.Z., Kanapathy, K.A. & Chiremel Chandy, J.J. (2017), “Connecting with Prospective Medical Tourists Online: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Private Hospital Websites Promoting Medical Tourism in India, Malaysia and Thailand”, Tourism Management, Vol. 58, pp. 154–163. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2016.10.010.
Nikolskaya, E.Yu. & Ignatyev, A.A. (2023), Trends in Development and Promotion of Medical Tourism in Russia, Monograph, Moscow, Knorus Publishing House, 94 p., ISBN: 546602760X, ISBN-13(EAN): 9785466027600. (In Russ.).
Noree, T., Hanefeld, J. & Smith, R. (2016), “Medical Tourism in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study”, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 94, Jan., pp. 30–36. doi: 10.2471/BLT.14.152165.
Ormond, M. & Lunt, N. (2020), “Transnational Medical Travel: Patient Mobility, Shifting Health System Entitlements and Attachments”, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 46, Iss. 20, pp. 4179–4192. doi: 10.1080/1369183X.2019.1597465.
Ormond, M. & Sulianti, D. (2014), “More than Medical Tourism: Lessons from Indonesia and Malaysia on South-South Intra-Regional Medical Travel”, Current Issues in Tourism, doi: 10.1080/13683500.2014.937324.
Sirivadhanawaravachara, A. (2024), “Medical Tourism and Healthcare Trends in Thailand”, World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, doi: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.3188.
Tarasenko, E.V. (2025), “Impact of Cross-cultural Aspects on Customer-centricity and Competitiveness when Working with Guest-Patients in Medical Tourism: Practical Experience of International Hotel Groups”, Risk: Resources, Information, Supply Chain, Competition, 1, pp. 129–135, ISSN: 1560-8816.
Whittaker, A. & Chee, H.L. (2015), “Perceptions of an “International Hospital” in Thailand by Medical Travel Patients: Cross-Cultural Tensions in a Transnational Space”, Social Science & Medicine, Vol. 124, Feb., pp. 290–297.
Wiyati, E.R., Ayuningtyas, D., Sjaaf, A.C. & Sulistiadi, W. (2025), “Barriers to the Development of Medical Tourism: A Scoping Review from a Global Perspective and Lessons Learned for Indonesia”, Healthcare in Low Resource Settings, doi: 10.4081/hls.2025.13475.
Zailani, S., Ali, S.M., Iranmanesh, M., Moghavvemi, S. & Musa, G. (2016), “Predicting Muslim Medical Tourists’ Satisfaction with Malaysian Islamic-Friendly Hospitals”, Tourism Management, Vol. 57, Oct., pp. 159–167.