The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), together with the European Travel Commission (ETC) launched a new report on health tourism.
UNWTO/ETC Launch Report on Health Tourism
Madrid, Spain, 27 December 2018 – The
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), together with the European Travel
Commission (ETC) launched a new report on health tourism. Part of their joint
research programme, the study is the first attempt to set a coherent
conceptualization of health tourism and define the motivations behind
travellers looking for health-related services.
Health, wellness and medical tourism have
grown exponentially in recent years to become increasingly relevant in
many destinations. Health tourism is an emerging, global, complex and
rapidly changing segment that needs to be better understood by
destinations willing to leverage opportunities and better address
challenges.
‘Exploring Health Tourism’ proposes a
comprehensive taxonomy with a consistent terminology to define and
describe the intricate system of travelling for health purposes and
provides a practical toolkit for National Tourism Organizations (NTOs)
and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) wanting to develop
health tourism.
As defined in the report, health tourism
covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation the
contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical
and wellness-based activities.
The report sheds light on the factors
shaping health tourism such as technological developments, personal
health, data protection and urbanization. It also explores the market,
the demand and the supply of health tourism and provides examples of
marketing management. Finally, the study proposes a set of
recommendations ranging from improved data collection and more accurate
measurement to more accessible and sustainable health tourism calling
for further partnerships.
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