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Toward a typology of medical tourists: A case study of Thailand

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  • Wongkit, Methawee
  • McKercher, Bob

Abstract

This paper examines the motivations of medical tourists who sought treatment in Thailand. Previous research has tended to treat the medical tourist market as undifferentiated, with the decision to seek treatment made prior to departure. These assumptions may be incorrect, and a significant finding of this study was that medical tourists can be categorized into four different groups, each of which displays significant differences in the types of treatment sought, the motivations for visiting Thailand, the decision making process, and their travel characteristics. One contribution of this study is its indication that if destination managers understand the nature and characteristics of each type of medical tourist, they will be able develop and promote more appropriate and satisfactory medical tourism products and services for their visitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Wongkit, Methawee & McKercher, Bob, 2013. "Toward a typology of medical tourists: A case study of Thailand," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 4-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:4-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2013.02.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Heung, Vincent C.S. & Kucukusta, Deniz & Song, Haiyan, 2011. "Medical tourism development in Hong Kong: An assessment of the barriers," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 995-1005.
    2. Moghimehfar, Farhad & Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein, 2011. "Decisive factors in medical tourism destination choice: A case study of Isfahan, Iran and fertility treatments," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1431-1434.
    3. Milica Z. Bookman & Karla R. Bookman, 2007. "Medical Tourism in Developing Countries," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-60565-7.
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    1. Prajitmutita, Lyn Manassannan & Perényi, à ron & Prentice, Catherine, 2016. "Quality, Value? – Insights into Medical Tourists’ Attitudes and Behaviors," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 207-216.
    2. Chuang, Thomas C. & Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lee, Yachi, 2014. "The main paths of medical tourism: From transplantation to beautification," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 49-58.
    3. de la Hoz-Correa, Andrea & Muñoz-Leiva, Francisco & Bakucz, Márta, 2018. "Past themes and future trends in medical tourism research: A co-word analysis," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 200-211.
    4. Lautier, Marc, 2014. "International trade of health services: Global trends and local impact," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 105-113.
    5. Jaapar, Mustaffa & Musa, Ghazali & Moghavvemi, Sedigheh & Saub, Roslan, 2017. "Dental tourism: Examining tourist profiles, motivation and satisfaction," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 538-552.

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