The broad definition of health tourism refers to people seeking medical attention, as well as health care services, in a country other than their place of residence. Health tourism was defined by the International Union of Tourist Organizations (IUTO), the forerunner to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, as \u2018\u2018the provision of health facilities utilizing the natural resources of the country, in particular mineral water and climate\u2019\u2019. Goeldner in a review of the health tourism literature, defined health tourism as \u2018\u2018staying away from home, with health [as the] most important motive, and done in a leisure setting.\u2019\u2019 Goodrich defined health tourism in terms of the narrower concept of health\u2010care tourism as:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe attempt\u00a0 on\u00a0 the\u00a0 part\u00a0 of\u00a0 a\u00a0 tourist\u00a0 facility\u00a0 (e.g. hotel)\u00a0 or\u00a0 destination\u00a0 (e.g. Algarve,\u00a0 Portugal)\u00a0 to attract tourists by deliberately promoting its health care services and facilities, in addition to its regular tourist amenities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goeldner recognized five components of the health tourism market, each of these identifies a more specific market segment which can have categories of health\u2010related tourism attached to it:<\/p>\n
1. Sun and fun activities (leisure tourism).<\/p>\n
2. Engaging in healthy activities, but health is not the central motive (outdoor recreation, adventure tourism, sports tourism, and wellness tourism).<\/p>\n
3. Principle motive for travel is health (e.g. a sea cruise or travel to a different climate\/health tourism and wellness tourism).<\/p>\n
4. Travel for sauna, massage, and other health activities (spa tourism and wellness tourism).<\/p>\n
5. Medical treatment (medical tourism and dental tourism).<\/p>\n
While\u00a0 the\u00a0 above\u00a0 classification\u00a0 is\u00a0 useful\u00a0 for\u00a0 identifying\u00a0 elements\u00a0 of\u00a0 \u00a0the\u00a0 demand\u00a0 for\u00a0 health\u00a0 and\u00a0 spa tourism, it fails to acknowledge the importance that those health products and spas play in destination or attraction\u00a0 marketing\u00a0 and\u00a0 promotion\u00a0 or\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 component\u00a0 of\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 development\u00a0 strategies.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Hall, in seeking to provide a definition, consistent with official definitions of tourism, suggested that health tourism be defined as:<\/p>\n
\u201cA commercial phenomenon of industrial society which involves a person travelling overnight away from the normal\u00a0 home environment\u00a0 for\u00a0 the\u00a0 express\u00a0 benefit\u00a0 of\u00a0 maintaining\u00a0 or\u00a0 improving\u00a0 health,\u00a0 and\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 the\u00a0 supply\u00a0 and promotion\u00a0 of\u00a0 facilities\u00a0 and\u00a0 destinations\u00a0 which\u00a0 seek\u00a0 to\u00a0 provide\u00a0 such\u00a0 benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
What makes health tourism different from medical tourism is that health tourism covers a wide range of services from preventive and health\u2010conductive to rehabilitation and curative, while medical tourism usually only covers surgeries or similar treatments.<\/b><\/p>\n
These kinds of travels, motivated by health matters, date back to the time when Greek pilgrims traveled to\u00a0 the\u00a0 sanctuary\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 healing\u00a0 god\u00a0 Asklepios.\u00a0 Spas\u00a0 and\u00a0 mineral\u00a0 water\u00a0 springs\u00a0 have\u00a0 been\u00a0 and\u00a0 still\u00a0 are forms of medical tourism as they are known to treat diseases from gout to liver disorders and bronchitis. These places are the destination of\u00a0 many\u00a0 travelers\u00a0 these\u00a0 days.<\/p>\n
Travels\u00a0 due\u00a0 to\u00a0 health\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 \u00a0 have\u00a0 been\u00a0 usually\u00a0 made\u00a0 by\u00a0 people\u00a0 from\u00a0 under\u2010developed\u00a0 countries\u00a0 seeking better\u00a0 quality\u00a0 health\u00a0 services\u00a0 in\u00a0 well\u2010known\u00a0 health\u00a0 centers\u00a0 in\u00a0 highly\u00a0 developed\u00a0 countries.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 lately,\u00a0 citizens\u00a0 of\u00a0 developed\u00a0 countries\u00a0 have\u00a0 been\u00a0 referring\u00a0 to\u00a0 less\u2010developed\u00a0 \u00a0countries\u00a0 to\u00a0 benefit from cheaper health services. Several demographic, economic, and lifestyle factors are driving such tourisms (Handszuh and\u00a0 Waters 1997; Ross\u00a0 2001). Particularities\u00a0 of\u00a0 healthcare\u00a0 systems\u00a0 such\u00a0 as long waiting lists, high costs, lack of insurance, unavailable or non\u2010licensed services and under insurement are causing some to go abroad to seek medical care. This is a major drive of demand from\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0offshore\u00a0 sources\u00a0 when\u00a0 local\u00a0 health\u00a0 systems\u00a0 cannot\u00a0 provide appropriate\u00a0 or\u00a0 timely\u00a0 options.<\/p>\n
Sometimes\u00a0 people\u00a0 with\u00a0 rare\u00a0 conditions\u00a0 even\u00a0 travel\u00a0 for\u00a0 a\u00a0 better\u00a0 understanding\u00a0 of\u00a0 their\u00a0 treatment and traveling motives usually differ for each country.\u00a0 For an example, the leading factor for health tourism in UK is the\u00a0 \u00a0avoidance\u00a0 of\u00a0 waiting\u00a0 times,\u00a0 while Americans\u00a0 mostly\u00a0 travel\u00a0 for\u00a0 lower\u2010priced quality\u00a0 treatments.<\/p>\n
Basically,\u00a0 convenience\u00a0 and\u00a0 speed\u00a0 are\u00a0 the\u00a0 main\u00a0 reasons\u00a0 for\u00a0 such\u00a0 \u00a0travels.\u00a0 This\u00a0 is seen\u00a0 as well as an\u00a0 opportunity to develop an economic sector, and as a problem in some national healthcare systems (Borman 2004).<\/p>\n
Despite these forces, there are numerous constraints to trade in health services (Chanda 2001) such as the restrictions on entry and practice by foreign health service providers, restrictions on foreign direct investment in health and other related sectors, regulations in insurance, education and telecommunications, domestic, regulatory, infrastructural and capacity related constraints. Other than what\u00a0 mentioned\u00a0 above\u00a0 it is\u00a0 known\u00a0 that health\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 carries\u00a0 some\u00a0 risks.\u00a0 For example,\u00a0 if\u00a0 you\u2019re considering a medical travel to South Africa or Thailand, which is well\u2010known for everything from open\u2010 heart\u00a0 surgery\u00a0 to\u00a0 fertility\u00a0 treatments,\u00a0 \u00a0you\u00a0 should\u00a0 be aware\u00a0 that\u00a0 these\u00a0 countries\u00a0 have\u00a0 very\u00a0 different\u00a0 infectious\u00a0 disease\u2010related\u00a0 epidemiology to Europe and North America<\/p>\n
\u00a0So a question arises: Is health tourism a cure or a threat for global public health?<\/b><\/p>\n
C. Michael Hall from the University of Guelph investigated the answer to this question in his review of health tourism. In conclusion,\u00a0 he states\u00a0 that\u00a0 \u201chealth\u00a0 and\u00a0 medical\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 is\u00a0 a\u00a0 complex\u00a0 area\u00a0 of\u00a0 study.\u00a0 Many governments, international agencies, private health providers and\u00a0 medical practitioners see it\u00a0 as\u00a0 \u00a0a\u00a0 means\u00a0 of economic\u00a0 development\u00a0 that\u00a0 may\u00a0 cross\u2010subsidies\u00a0 domestic\u00a0 health\u00a0 access\u00a0 and\u00a0 \u00a0provide\u00a0 a competitive\u00a0 cure for\u00a0 the\u00a0 problems\u00a0 facing\u00a0 the\u00a0 global\u00a0 health\u00a0 system.\u00a0 \u00a0In\u00a0 contrast,\u00a0 others\u00a0 see\u00a0 it\u00a0 as\u00a0 part\u00a0 \u00a0of\u00a0 a\u00a0 process\u00a0 of\u00a0 marketization\u00a0 \u00a0and\u00a0 economization\u00a0 of\u00a0 public\u00a0 health\u00a0 services\u00a0 already\u00a0 under\u00a0 pressure\u00a0 from neo liberal political\u00a0 agendas;\u00a0 further\u00a0 reinforcement\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 commoditization\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 body;\u00a0 and\u00a0 also reinforcing\u00a0 gaps\u00a0 between\u00a0 have\u00a0 and\u00a0 have\u2010nots\u00a0 both\u00a0 within\u00a0 and\u00a0 between\u00a0 societies.\u00a0 Undoubtedly, the\u00a0 benefits\u00a0 and\u00a0 risks attached\u00a0 to\u00a0 medical\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 both\u00a0 for\u00a0 individual\u00a0 and\u00a0 collective\u00a0 public\u00a0 health\u00a0 are a significant area for future research. Such research must include contributions, not only from medical and health\u00a0 research\u00a0 but\u00a0 also\u00a0 from tourism studies.\u00a0 It\u00a0 is\u00a0 hoped\u00a0 that\u00a0 this\u00a0 special\u00a0 issue\u00a0 of\u00a0 Tourism\u00a0 Review\u00a0 makes\u00a0 at\u00a0 least\u00a0 a\u00a0 small\u00a0 contribution to a better understanding of the field\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe\u00a0 attempt\u00a0 on\u00a0 the\u00a0 part\u00a0 of\u00a0 a\u00a0 tourist\u00a0 facility\u00a0 (e.g. hotel)\u00a0 or\u00a0 destination\u00a0 (e.g. Algarve,\u00a0 \u00a0 Portugal)\u00a0 to attract tourists by deliberately promoting its health care services and facilities, in addition to its regular tourist\u00a0 amenities.\u201d Goodrich\u00a0 uses\u00a0 these\u00a0 words\u00a0 to\u00a0 define\u00a0 \u00a0health\u00a0 tourism.\u00a0 In\u00a0 this\u00a0 article\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 going\u00a0 to discuss dental tourism, also called dental vacations or commonly known as dental holidays in Europe, which is a subcategory of health tourism. Increasing numbers of patients are crossing national borders and obtaining dental care. Journalists commonly characterize the phenomenon of cross\u2010border care as \u2018dental\u00a0 tourism\u2019\u00a0 and\u00a0 it\u00a0 applies\u00a0 to\u00a0 a person\u00a0 referring\u00a0 to\u00a0 healthcare\u00a0 systems\u00a0 in countries\u00a0 other\u00a0 than\u00a0 their\u00a0 place\u00a0 of\u00a0 residence\u00a0 seeking\u00a0 dental\u00a0 care.<\/p>\n
Dental tourism commonly occurs along regional pathways rather than global networks. Americans in such Mexican border towns such as the cities of Juarez and Tijuana. Some Americans obtain inexpensive dental care in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Peru. Australian dental tourism companies promote Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand\u00a0 \u00a0as\u00a0 inexpensive\u00a0 sites\u00a0 for\u00a0 dental\u00a0 treatment.\u00a0 Americans\u00a0 can\u00a0 travel\u00a0 to\u00a0 India\u00a0 or\u00a0 the\u00a0 Philippines\u00a0 for multiple\u00a0 dental\u00a0 procedures\u00a0 but\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 only\u00a0 somewhat\u00a0 more\u00a0 expensive\u00a0 and\u00a0 \u00a0far\u00a0 more\u00a0 convenient\u00a0 to\u00a0 obtain dental care\u00a0 in\u00a0 Mexico.\u00a0 Likewise,\u00a0 it\u00a0 is unsurprising\u00a0 \u00a0that\u00a0 most\u00a0 patients\u00a0 from\u00a0 Britain\u00a0 obtain\u00a0 dental care\u00a0 in Portugal rather than the Dominican Republic or Peru. Given the proliferation of dental tourism companies and\u00a0 their\u00a0 recognition\u00a0 that\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 possible\u00a0 to profit\u00a0 by\u00a0 selling\u00a0 low\u00a0 \u00a0 cost\u00a0 dental care\u00a0 to\u00a0 patients\u00a0 in regions\u00a0 \u00a0where\u00a0 dental care\u00a0 is\u00a0 comparatively\u00a0 more expensive,\u00a0 the\u00a0 number\u00a0 of\u00a0 individuals\u00a0 travelling\u00a0 \u00a0 for dental care is likely to increase. Marketing initiatives will encourage more individuals to travel for dental care.<\/p>\n
Health\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 motivations\u00a0 are\u00a0 due\u00a0 to\u00a0 diverse\u00a0 reasons\u00a0 while\u00a0 dental\u00a0 tourism\u00a0 motivations\u00a0 are\u00a0 mostly about price\/quality ratio considerations as developing countries are providing dental care at significant cost savings when\u00a0 compared\u00a0 to their\u00a0 peers\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 developed\u00a0 world.\u00a0 Generally,\u00a0 we\u00a0 can\u00a0 explain\u00a0 the rise\u00a0 in\u00a0 patient mobility as a result of five factors.<\/b><\/p>\n
1. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In some countries private dental care is unaffordable for many patients. The high price of local procedures\u00a0 drives\u00a0 individuals\u00a0 to\u00a0 find\u00a0 comparatively\u00a0 inexpensive\u00a0 dental\u00a0 procedures.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>Patients\u00a0 unable\u00a0 to\u00a0 obtain\u00a0 prompt\u00a0 access\u00a0 to\u00a0 local\u00a0 dental\u00a0 care\u00a0 look\u00a0 beyond\u00a0 their\u00a0 communities\u00a0 in search of timely dental treatment.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>Patients unable to access dental specialist close by.\u00a0 Amongst this, for example, qualified dental implant specialists are scares in the U.K.<\/p>\n 4. Patients\u00a0 understand\u00a0 \u00a0that\u00a0 lower\u00a0 prices\u00a0 for\u00a0 dental\u00a0 care\u00a0 need\u00a0 not\u00a0 result\u00a0 in\u00a0 low\u00a0 \u00a0quality\u00a0 care.\u00a0 Some patients return home satisfied with the quality of care they receive elsewhere. \u2018Word of mouth\u2019 promotion prompts other patients to consider travelling for treatment.<\/p>\n 5. Economy air travel makes the cost of transportation considerably less expensive than the price of many dental procedures.<\/p>\n 6. The internet plays a powerful role in connecting \u2018customers\u2019 to sellers of dental services. Dental clinics around the\u00a0 world\u00a0 use\u00a0 the internet\u00a0 to\u00a0 advertise\u00a0 procedures\u00a0 to\u00a0 international\u00a0 patients. Dental tourism companies, mainstream travel agencies selling health\u2010related travel packages, and medical tourism companies likewise use the internet to advertise \u2018all\u2010inclusive deals\u2019. These packages include dental procedures with pre\u2010established prices, hotel rooms, air fare, ground transportation, `VIP treatment\u00b4, restaurant reservations, and side trips to popular tourist destinations.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The broad definition of health tourism refers to people seeking medical attention, as well as health care services, in a country other than their place of residence. Health tourism was defined by the International Union of Tourist Organizations (IUTO), the forerunner to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, as \u2018\u2018the provision of health facilities utilizing […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-algarve"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/algarvedentalimplants.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}