Medical tourism in the global market: effective models, strategies and development tools
The article examines international practices of medical tourism and the specific features of successful medical tourism destinations to identify strategic mechanisms for their development in close integration with the tourism industry. Based on a review of contemporary Russian and international literature on medical tourism, the study identifies priority research areas, including issues of terminology, classification of types of medical tourism, models of its organization, and factors determining the competitiveness of destinations. The article highlights the key development trends in medical tourism, including changes in its geographical scope, target audiences and their demands, and its integration with other health and wellness tourism activities. Using open data, reports of international organizations, academic studies and expert opinions, the authors analyze development strategies for medical tourism in successful tourism destinations and, as a result, identify groups of strategic instruments: (1) governmental mechanisms and targeted programs; (2) mechanisms for integration with the tourism industry and other sectors; (3) strategies of market focus and expansion; (4) human resource policies; (5) digitalization of service processes; (6) tools for branding and promotion in medical tourism. The article outlines the key challenges in forming a comprehensive medical tourism system in Russia and, consequently, identifies the most effective strategies and priority directions for the development of Russian medical tourism.
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