Determinants of Health Tourism Destination Attractiveness: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

https://doi.org/10.35912/jspp.v2i2.3261
Published: Jul 15, 2024

Abstract:

Purpose: This study aims to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to the attractiveness of medical tourism destinations (MTD).

Method: Utilizing a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, this research conducts an in-depth analysis of academic journal articles published between 2010 and 2024, indexed in the Scopus database. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method serves as the framework for this systematic review, ensuring the robustness of the review process through meticulous screening, data extraction, and synthesis of findings.

Result: The results reveal four prominent factors determining medical tourism attractiveness. First, economic factors such as the cost of medical expenditures, destination competitiveness, and economic diversification. Second, cultural and social factors including destination attributes, tourism and vacation experience and geographical distance. Third, healthcare infrastructure and quality standards, encompassing service quality factors, medical treatment quality and government support for medical tourism infrastructure. Fourth, and lastly, marketing and promotional strategies, including branding, marketing, and destination perception. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights for stakeholders aiming to enhance the appeal of medical tourism destinations.

Keywords:
1. Tourism destination
2. destination attractiveness
3. health tourism
4. systematic literature review
Authors:
1 . Deske W. Mandagi
2 . Yunita Peggy Tappy
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How to Cite
Mandagi, D. W. ., & Tappy, Y. P. (2024). Determinants of Health Tourism Destination Attractiveness: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. Jurnal Studi Perhotelan Dan Pariwisata, 2(2), 57–69. https://doi.org/10.35912/jspp.v2i2.3261
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Issue & Section
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2024): Maret
Articles
References

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    Abubakar, A. M., Ilkan, M., Meshall Al-Tal, R., & Eluwole, K. K. (2017). eWOM, revisit intention, destination trust and gender. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 33, 145-154.

    Agbabiaka, H. I., Omisore, E. O., & Odunsi, O. (2017). Medical tourism in Nigeria: A multivariate analysis of challenges faced by patrons. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 3(2), 221-239.

    An, D. (2014). Understanding Medical Tourists in Korea: Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Medical Tourism among Patients from the USA, Russia, Japan, and China. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(7), 829-848.

    Ashton, A. S. (2018). Spiritual retreat tourism development in the Asia Pacific region: Investigating the impact of tourist satisfaction and intention to revisit: A Chiang Mai, Thailand case study. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 23(5), 457-471.

    Awang, Z., Afthanorhan, A., Mohamad, M., & Asri, M. A. M. (2015). An evaluation of measurement model for medical tourism research: The confirmatory factor analysis approach. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 6(2), 93-107.

    Backer, E., & Ritchie, B. W. (2017). VFR Travel: A Viable Market for Tourism Crisis and Disaster Recovery? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(5), 578-589.

    Bhatia, D., Chaudhari, P. K., Chaudhary, B., Sharma, S., & Dhingra, K. (Eds.). (2023). A Guide to Hospital Administration and Planning. Springer.

    Chigora, F., & Hoque, M. (2019). Places to cities: Comprehending brands as personalities for Zimbabwean urban tourism vibrancy. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(2), 1-17.

    Clark-Kennedy, J., & Cohen, M. (2017). Indulgence or therapy? Exploring the characteristics, motivations and experiences of hot springs bathers in Victoria, Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(3), 285-299.

    Connell, J. (2013). Contemporary medical tourism: Conceptualisation, culture and commodification. Tourism management, 34, 1-13.

    Cormany, D., & Baloglu, S. (2011). Medical travel facilitator websites: An exploratory study of web page contents and services offered to the prospective medical tourist. Tourism management, 32(4), 709-716.

    Darwazeh, D., Clarke, A., & Wilson, J. (2021). Framework for establishing a sustainable medical facility: a case study of medical tourism in Jordan. World, 2(3), 351-373.

    Dryglas, D., & Salamaga, M. (2018). Segmentation by push motives in health tourism destinations: A case study of Polish spa resorts. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 9(3), 265-274.

    Esiyok, B., Çakar, M., & Kurtulmu?o?lu, F. B. (2017). The effect of cultural distance on medical tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 6(3), 262-271.

    Frederick, J. R., & Gan, L. L. (2015). East-West differences among medical tourism facilitators' websites. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 4(3), 158-166.

    Ghosh, T., & Mandal, S. (2019). Medical tourism experience: Conceptualization, scale development, and validation. Journal of travel research, 58(8), 1288-1301.

    Guiry, M., & Vequist, D. G., IV. (2015). South Korea's Medical Tourism Destination Brand Personality and the Influence of Personal Values. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(4), 440-455.

    Henama, U. S. (2018). A literature review into South Africa's attempt to create a nudist beach at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 7(3), 1-12.

    Higuchi, Y., & Yamanaka, Y. (2017). Knowledge sharing between academic researchers and tourism practitioners: A Japanese study of the practical value of embeddedness, trust and co-creation. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(10), 1456-1473.

    John, S. P. (2017). An analysis of the social media practices for sustainable medical tourism destination marketing. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 7(1), 58-72.

    Jónás-Berki, M., Csapó, J., Pálfi, A., & Aubert, A. (2015). A Market and Spatial Perspective of Health Tourism Destinations: The Hungarian Experience. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17(6), 540-551.

    Joukes, V., & Gerry, C. (2010). Website effectiveness in wellness promotion by Portuguese spas. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17, 75-82.

    Kainde, S. J., & Mandagi, D. (2023). A systematic review of servant leadership outcomes in education context. EDUKASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran, 4(2), 2563-2574.

    Kim, S., Lee, J., & Jung, J. (2013). Assessment of Medical Tourism Development in Korea for the Achievement of Competitive Advantages. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(8), 895-914.

    Klijs, J., Ormond, M., Mainil, T., Peerlings, J., & Heijman, W. (2016). A state-level analysis of the economic impacts of medical tourism in Malaysia. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 30(1), 78-92.

    Koggalage, P. D., Gunawardena, N. S., & De Silva, A. H. (2017). Medical travellers’ perspectives in selecting in-patient services at selected private hospitals in Sri Lanka. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(7), 757-771.

    Kowaas, R., Syamsia, J. C., & Mandagi, D. W. (2023). The antecedents of an effective city branding: A comprehensive systematic review. Jurnal Ekonomi, 12(04), 2178-2186.

    Lee, J., & Kim, H.-B. (2015). Success factors of health tourism: Cases of Asian tourism cities. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 1(1), 33-49.

    Loureiro, S. M. C. (2017). Medical tourists’ emotional and cognitive response to credibility and Servicescape. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(10), 1036-1050.

    Lu, H.-Y., & Wu, W.-Y. (2018). Factors associated with medical travel behaviours: The input–process–output perspective. Current Issues in Tourism, 21(3), 287-301.

    Mandagi, D. W., Centeno, D. D., & Indrajit (2021). Brand gestalt scale development and validation: A takeoff from tourism destination branding. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 19, 100539.

    Mandagi, D. W., Indrajit, I., & Wulyatiningsih, T. (2024). Navigating digital horizons: A systematic review of social media’s role in destination branding. Journal of Enterprise and Development (JED), 6(2), 373-389.

    Maniar, N., Duncan, K., & Opar, D. (2018). Systematically searching and reviewing the literature. In Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health (pp. 28-44). Routledge.

    Medina-Muñoz, D. R., & Medina-Muñoz, R. D. (2013). Critical issues in health and wellness tourism: An exploratory study of visitors to wellness centres on Gran Canaria. Current Issues in Tourism, 16(7), 603-619.

    Mogaka, J. J. O., Mashamba-Thompson, T. P., Tsoka-Gwegweni, J. M., & Mupara, L. M. (2017). Effects of medical tourism on health systems in Africa. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(1), 1-13.

    Mogaka, J. J. O., Mupara, L. M., Mashamba-Thompson, T. P., & Tsoka-Gwegweni, J. M. (2017). Geo-location and range of medical tourism services in Africa. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(2), 1-14.

    Murillo, R. (2014). Assessing national destination-branding transformations: Theory and application to Costa Rica's nature-based and medical tourism product-services. Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 1, 239-254.

    Nugraha, A., Hamin, H., & Elliott, G. (2016). Tourism destination decisions: The impact of risk aversion and prior experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 125-138.

    Omer Tontus, H., & Nebioglu, S. (2018). Drivers of healthcare globalisation and their eff

    ects on medical tourism. e-Review of Tourism Research, 15(4), 338-360.

    Ormond, M., & Sulianti, D. (2017). More than medical tourism: Lessons from Indonesia and Malaysia on South–South intra-regional medical travel. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(16), 1743-1760.

    Pagan, R., & Horsfall, D. (2020). Medical tourism markets: Models of sustainability. The case of Spain and the Costa del Sol (Malaga). Sustainability, 12(21), 8818.

    Rampen, D. C., Pangemanan, A. S., & Mandagi, D. W. (2023). The X-factors behind Gen Z employee performance: A systematic review. Jurnal Mantik, 7(2), 668-680.

    Rosenbusch, J., Ismail, I. R., & Ringle, C. M. (2018). The agony of choice for medical tourists: A patient satisfaction index model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 9(1), 112-127.

    Sag, I., & Zengul, F. D. (2018). Why medical tourists choose Turkey as a medical tourism destination? Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 1(1), 43-53.

    Siddik, A. S. A., Soewignyo, T., & Mandagi, D. W. (2024). Click, Con

    nect, Recruit: A Systematic Review of the Role of Social Media in Employee Recruitment. Jurnal Informatika Ekonomi Bisnis, 344-349.

    Singh, L. (2019). Medical tourism motivations: The driving force. Journal of multidisciplinary academic tourism, 4(2), 77-86.

    Singh, N. (2013). Exploring the factors influencing the travel motivations of US medical tourists. Current Issues in Tourism, 16(7), 620-634.

    Thomé, A. M. T., Scavarda, L. F., & Scavarda, A. J. (2016). Conducting systematic literature review in operations management. Production Planning & Control, 27(5), 408-420.

    Tsartsara, S. I. (2018). Definition of a new type of tourism niche—The geriatric tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(3), 337-349.

    Viladrich, A., & Baron-Faust, R. (2014). Medical tourism in tango paradise: The internet branding of cosmetic surgery in Argentina. Annals of Tourism Research, 49, 73-87.

    Viši?, M. (2022). Connecting puzzle pieces: Systematic literature review method in the social sciences. Sociologija, 64(4), 543-562.

    Waworuntu, E. C., Kainde, S. J., & Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and performance among millennial and Gen Z employees: a systematic review. Society, 10(2), 384-398.

    Wray, M., Laing, J., & Voigt, C. (2010). Byron Bay: An alternate health and wellness destination. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17, 67-74.

    Zolfagharian, M., Rajamma, R. K., Naderi, I., & Torkzadeh, S. (2018). Determinants of medical tourism destination selection process. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 27(8), 905-927.

  1. Abubakar, A. M., & Ilkan, M. (2016). Impact of online WOM on destination trust and intention to travel: A medical tourism perspective. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 5(2), 158-167.
  2. Abubakar, A. M., Ilkan, M., Meshall Al-Tal, R., & Eluwole, K. K. (2017). eWOM, revisit intention, destination trust and gender. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 33, 145-154.
  3. Agbabiaka, H. I., Omisore, E. O., & Odunsi, O. (2017). Medical tourism in Nigeria: A multivariate analysis of challenges faced by patrons. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 3(2), 221-239.
  4. An, D. (2014). Understanding Medical Tourists in Korea: Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Medical Tourism among Patients from the USA, Russia, Japan, and China. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(7), 829-848.
  5. Ashton, A. S. (2018). Spiritual retreat tourism development in the Asia Pacific region: Investigating the impact of tourist satisfaction and intention to revisit: A Chiang Mai, Thailand case study. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 23(5), 457-471.
  6. Awang, Z., Afthanorhan, A., Mohamad, M., & Asri, M. A. M. (2015). An evaluation of measurement model for medical tourism research: The confirmatory factor analysis approach. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 6(2), 93-107.
  7. Backer, E., & Ritchie, B. W. (2017). VFR Travel: A Viable Market for Tourism Crisis and Disaster Recovery? International Journal of Tourism Research, 19(5), 578-589.
  8. Bhatia, D., Chaudhari, P. K., Chaudhary, B., Sharma, S., & Dhingra, K. (Eds.). (2023). A Guide to Hospital Administration and Planning. Springer.
  9. Chigora, F., & Hoque, M. (2019). Places to cities: Comprehending brands as personalities for Zimbabwean urban tourism vibrancy. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(2), 1-17.
  10. Clark-Kennedy, J., & Cohen, M. (2017). Indulgence or therapy? Exploring the characteristics, motivations and experiences of hot springs bathers in Victoria, Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(3), 285-299.
  11. Connell, J. (2013). Contemporary medical tourism: Conceptualisation, culture and commodification. Tourism management, 34, 1-13.
  12. Cormany, D., & Baloglu, S. (2011). Medical travel facilitator websites: An exploratory study of web page contents and services offered to the prospective medical tourist. Tourism management, 32(4), 709-716.
  13. Darwazeh, D., Clarke, A., & Wilson, J. (2021). Framework for establishing a sustainable medical facility: a case study of medical tourism in Jordan. World, 2(3), 351-373.
  14. Dryglas, D., & Salamaga, M. (2018). Segmentation by push motives in health tourism destinations: A case study of Polish spa resorts. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 9(3), 265-274.
  15. Esiyok, B., Çakar, M., & Kurtulmu?o?lu, F. B. (2017). The effect of cultural distance on medical tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 6(3), 262-271.
  16. Frederick, J. R., & Gan, L. L. (2015). East-West differences among medical tourism facilitators' websites. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 4(3), 158-166.
  17. Ghosh, T., & Mandal, S. (2019). Medical tourism experience: Conceptualization, scale development, and validation. Journal of travel research, 58(8), 1288-1301.
  18. Guiry, M., & Vequist, D. G., IV. (2015). South Korea's Medical Tourism Destination Brand Personality and the Influence of Personal Values. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(4), 440-455.
  19. Henama, U. S. (2018). A literature review into South Africa's attempt to create a nudist beach at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 7(3), 1-12.
  20. Higuchi, Y., & Yamanaka, Y. (2017). Knowledge sharing between academic researchers and tourism practitioners: A Japanese study of the practical value of embeddedness, trust and co-creation. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(10), 1456-1473.
  21. John, S. P. (2017). An analysis of the social media practices for sustainable medical tourism destination marketing. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 7(1), 58-72.
  22. Jónás-Berki, M., Csapó, J., Pálfi, A., & Aubert, A. (2015). A Market and Spatial Perspective of Health Tourism Destinations: The Hungarian Experience. International Journal of Tourism Research, 17(6), 540-551.
  23. Joukes, V., & Gerry, C. (2010). Website effectiveness in wellness promotion by Portuguese spas. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17, 75-82.
  24. Kainde, S. J., & Mandagi, D. (2023). A systematic review of servant leadership outcomes in education context. EDUKASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran, 4(2), 2563-2574.
  25. Kim, S., Lee, J., & Jung, J. (2013). Assessment of Medical Tourism Development in Korea for the Achievement of Competitive Advantages. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(8), 895-914.
  26. Klijs, J., Ormond, M., Mainil, T., Peerlings, J., & Heijman, W. (2016). A state-level analysis of the economic impacts of medical tourism in Malaysia. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 30(1), 78-92.
  27. Koggalage, P. D., Gunawardena, N. S., & De Silva, A. H. (2017). Medical travellers’ perspectives in selecting in-patient services at selected private hospitals in Sri Lanka. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(7), 757-771.
  28. Kowaas, R., Syamsia, J. C., & Mandagi, D. W. (2023). The antecedents of an effective city branding: A comprehensive systematic review. Jurnal Ekonomi, 12(04), 2178-2186.
  29. Lee, J., & Kim, H.-B. (2015). Success factors of health tourism: Cases of Asian tourism cities. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 1(1), 33-49.
  30. Loureiro, S. M. C. (2017). Medical tourists’ emotional and cognitive response to credibility and Servicescape. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(10), 1036-1050.
  31. Lu, H.-Y., & Wu, W.-Y. (2018). Factors associated with medical travel behaviours: The input–process–output perspective. Current Issues in Tourism, 21(3), 287-301.
  32. Mandagi, D. W., Centeno, D. D., & Indrajit (2021). Brand gestalt scale development and validation: A takeoff from tourism destination branding. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 19, 100539.
  33. Mandagi, D. W., Indrajit, I., & Wulyatiningsih, T. (2024). Navigating digital horizons: A systematic review of social media’s role in destination branding. Journal of Enterprise and Development (JED), 6(2), 373-389.
  34. Maniar, N., Duncan, K., & Opar, D. (2018). Systematically searching and reviewing the literature. In Research Methods in Physical Activity and Health (pp. 28-44). Routledge.
  35. Medina-Muñoz, D. R., & Medina-Muñoz, R. D. (2013). Critical issues in health and wellness tourism: An exploratory study of visitors to wellness centres on Gran Canaria. Current Issues in Tourism, 16(7), 603-619.
  36. Mogaka, J. J. O., Mashamba-Thompson, T. P., Tsoka-Gwegweni, J. M., & Mupara, L. M. (2017). Effects of medical tourism on health systems in Africa. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(1), 1-13.
  37. Mogaka, J. J. O., Mupara, L. M., Mashamba-Thompson, T. P., & Tsoka-Gwegweni, J. M. (2017). Geo-location and range of medical tourism services in Africa. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(2), 1-14.
  38. Murillo, R. (2014). Assessing national destination-branding transformations: Theory and application to Costa Rica's nature-based and medical tourism product-services. Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 1, 239-254.
  39. Nugraha, A., Hamin, H., & Elliott, G. (2016). Tourism destination decisions: The impact of risk aversion and prior experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 125-138.
  40. Omer Tontus, H., & Nebioglu, S. (2018). Drivers of healthcare globalisation and their eff
  41. ects on medical tourism. e-Review of Tourism Research, 15(4), 338-360.
  42. Ormond, M., & Sulianti, D. (2017). More than medical tourism: Lessons from Indonesia and Malaysia on South–South intra-regional medical travel. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(16), 1743-1760.
  43. Pagan, R., & Horsfall, D. (2020). Medical tourism markets: Models of sustainability. The case of Spain and the Costa del Sol (Malaga). Sustainability, 12(21), 8818.
  44. Rampen, D. C., Pangemanan, A. S., & Mandagi, D. W. (2023). The X-factors behind Gen Z employee performance: A systematic review. Jurnal Mantik, 7(2), 668-680.
  45. Rosenbusch, J., Ismail, I. R., & Ringle, C. M. (2018). The agony of choice for medical tourists: A patient satisfaction index model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 9(1), 112-127.
  46. Sag, I., & Zengul, F. D. (2018). Why medical tourists choose Turkey as a medical tourism destination? Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 1(1), 43-53.
  47. Siddik, A. S. A., Soewignyo, T., & Mandagi, D. W. (2024). Click, Con
  48. nect, Recruit: A Systematic Review of the Role of Social Media in Employee Recruitment. Jurnal Informatika Ekonomi Bisnis, 344-349.
  49. Singh, L. (2019). Medical tourism motivations: The driving force. Journal of multidisciplinary academic tourism, 4(2), 77-86.
  50. Singh, N. (2013). Exploring the factors influencing the travel motivations of US medical tourists. Current Issues in Tourism, 16(7), 620-634.
  51. Thomé, A. M. T., Scavarda, L. F., & Scavarda, A. J. (2016). Conducting systematic literature review in operations management. Production Planning & Control, 27(5), 408-420.
  52. Tsartsara, S. I. (2018). Definition of a new type of tourism niche—The geriatric tourism. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(3), 337-349.
  53. Viladrich, A., & Baron-Faust, R. (2014). Medical tourism in tango paradise: The internet branding of cosmetic surgery in Argentina. Annals of Tourism Research, 49, 73-87.
  54. Viši?, M. (2022). Connecting puzzle pieces: Systematic literature review method in the social sciences. Sociologija, 64(4), 543-562.
  55. Waworuntu, E. C., Kainde, S. J., & Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and performance among millennial and Gen Z employees: a systematic review. Society, 10(2), 384-398.
  56. Wray, M., Laing, J., & Voigt, C. (2010). Byron Bay: An alternate health and wellness destination. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17, 67-74.
  57. Zolfagharian, M., Rajamma, R. K., Naderi, I., & Torkzadeh, S. (2018). Determinants of medical tourism destination selection process. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 27(8), 905-927.