Seminar Project Report

On

Success factors of Medical Tourism in Asia

Course Lecturer

Dararat Simpattanawong, PhD.

Submitted by

6111145100 Bhakkaphon Thuaythawimon

6111145622 Thunthee Kongngamkam

6211145233 Supasek Vichitrananda

6211145411 Sornnacha Buranapongwattana

6211145454 Nuttarin Srisaipechr

6211145501 Pattarakhun Srisuthum

6211145608 Konlathat Kiattikhunphairot

This report is a part of 01583497 Seminar

Integrated Tourism Management, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Faculty of Humanities, Kasetsart University

Semester 1, Academic Year 2022

Date of Submission: December 21, 2022

 Preface

This report is part of the Seminar course (01583497) in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality

Industry in the Faculty of Humanities at Kasetsart University. The contents of this report consist of

Introduction, Information, and Conclusion. The authors sincerely hope that the information in this report

will be the information that makes people understand about the factors of Medical tourism in asia that

There are positive and negative impacts in each country. All of the knowledge will make awareness to

readers and to improve and maintain the country in the future.

1
 Table of Contents

Preface 1
Table of Contents 2
Introduction 3
Success factors of medical tourism in Asia 5
Key issues 9
Challenges of medical tourism in Asia 10

Conclusion 11
References 13

2
 Introduction

Medical tourism is more popular and expanded since the late 1990s. Medical tourism, the

practice of seeking medical treatment in a foreign country, has become a growing trend in recent

years as travelers seek out high-quality, affordable healthcare options (Kim, 2019). Furthermore,

to be more spacific, the medical and health tourism industry in Asia has been growing rapidly in

recent years as governments seek new sectors for sustainable growth. The increase in medical

tourism and cooperation in the health and medical sector may be a path to improving

relationships between countries. As a result of globalization, international tourism has been

growing faster than any other time in the past. The growth of international tourism is being

regarded as a contributor to the development of the economy, social cooperation, politics, and

cultural relations. Thus, Nowadays, Asia is considered as a major medical tourism destination

including South Korea, Thailand, India, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Iran (Kim,

Arcodia & Kim, 2019;Kazemu, 2008).

The increase in medical tourism and cooperation in the health and medical sector can

have a result and benefits as following:

1.it can be an oppotunity to improve relationships between countries.

2. an economic activity will be growth according to medical tourism growth as well

(Kim & Hyun , 2022;Maboodi & Hakimi, 2016)

However, some factors including language barrier, Marketing mix and medical staff

shortage might cause a negative impact/obstacle for improving the medical tourism in Asia

according to many studies on the literature review. Therefore, our aim is to study what can be the

factors that determine the success for medical tourism in Asia.

3
 Success factors of medical tourism in Asia

For the purpose of our report to discover what can be counted as the key successes or

success factors for Medical tourism in Asia covering many countries in Asia which are India,

Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, China and Singapore.

Iran - Iran has also emerged as a popular destination for medical tourism, with a specific

study identifying the factors that are most effective in attracting medical tourists to the country.

These include the availability of specialized medical procedures, the reputation of the healthcare

facilities, and the low cost of treatment compared to other destinations (Kazemi, 2008). In the

same direction, we can also identify the internal factors encouraging medical tourists in Iran

through using document analysis which are 1. Medical resources and marketing promotion: they

are the most important factors among the evaluated factors 2. It was also indicated that the

sub-criteria medical facilities and quality of medical services are the first priorities 3. inefficient

bureaucracy and transportation were last priorities in encouraging medical tourists among the

evaluated sub-criteria (Maboodi & Hakimi, 2016).

India - The main reasons for choosing Kerala in India as a destination for medical

treatment were the availability of high-quality medical care and the reputation of the state's

hospitals and doctors. Other factors that influenced the decision to travel to Kerala for medical

treatment included the cost of care, the opportunity to combine medical treatment with leisure

activities, and the availability of alternative therapies such as Ayurveda and yoga (Kieanwatana,

2017). The next study is An Assessment of service quality in tertiary hospitals and role of

communication for the growth of medical tourism in Asian context including COVID era, using

empirical evidence from India. This study investigates the service quality provided by JCI

accredited hospitals, challenges faced by the patients after reaching India and how the COVID

4
infection affects the overall medical tourism. The findings of this study 89% of patients were

satisfied with the service quality while the rest of 11% were dissatisfied. Many patients however

had faced challenges in accommodation, language differences and most of the patients were

satisfied with care if the nurses’ and food quality were good. Moreover, the group of outpatients

decreased to 49% and admissions decreased to 52% in the COVID era (Singh, 2022). Factors

Affecting the Attractiveness of Medical Tourism Destination in India- Review can be indicated

in 4 Dimensions according to four hypotheses which are Destination Competitiveness, Service

Quality, Tourist attitude and service cost (Sultana, 2014). After collecting data from 400 medical

tourists who visit Delhi NCR for seeking medical treatment. It’s show that the factor that the

factors affecting the satisfaction level of medical tourists in Delhi can be reduce from 12 12

variables (medical infrastructure, credibility of doctors, service orientation of medical staff,

quality of medical treatment, less waiting time, low cost of treatment, seeking advanced

technologies or quality care, hygienic factors in hospitals, infrastructure of the hospital, image of

India as a tourist destination, quality certifications of hospitals, tourist attractions)into 3 factors

i.e. hospital services, quality of treatment, touristic services (Datta, 2020).

Thailand - Thailand has the potential to become a major medical tourism hub in the

ASEAN region, thanks to its strong healthcare infrastructure, affordable medical costs, and a

variety of popular medical procedures (Pattharapinyophong, 2019). Moreover, Thailand can be

one of the leaders in medical tourism, if there is development in terms of medical technology and

genomics. In addition, support from the public and private sectors in implementing the tourism

cycle in a concrete manner. (Pansuriya, 2022) In terms of the medical tourism development

model. There are focal points that a model must consist of four keys. First, a model for suppliers

and supporting industry. Second, a model for the medical service provider. Third, a model for

5
medical service marketing to foreign customers. Fourth, a model for the regulator and facilitator.

(Pinpat & Vongsaroj, 2019)

South Korea - South Korea has faced several barriers in its efforts to develop medical

tourism, including a lack of proper infrastructure and support for foreign patients, linguistic and

language barriers, and a limited number of hospitals that are accredited by international

organizations. These barriers have hindered the growth of medical tourism in the country and

suggest that overcoming these challenges will be key to the success of health tourism

development in South Korea and other destinations (Rokni, 2017). A study on the critical success

factors for medical tourism in South Korea identified several key factors that contribute to the

success of medical tourism in the country, including the reputation and quality of the healthcare

facilities, the availability of specialized medical procedures, the convenience and accessibility of

the destination, and the level of customer service. These factors will be important for South

Korea to consider as it seeks to further develop its medical tourism industry (Kim, 2019).

Malaysia - Medical tourists often base their destination selection on a variety of factors,

including the quality and reputation of the healthcare facilities, the availability of specific

medical procedures, the cost of treatment, and the convenience and accessibility of the

destination. A study on the Malaysian perspective found that the reputation of the healthcare

facility was the most important factor in destination selection, followed by the cost of treatment

(Kumar, 2016). Malaysia has also emerged as a popular destination for medical tourists, with a

number of key drivers contributing to the growth of the industry. These include the availability of

specialized medical procedures, the reputation and quality of the healthcare facilities, the low

cost of medical treatment compared to other destinations, and the convenience and accessibility

of the destination. To further develop its medical tourism industry, Malaysia will need to

6
continue to invest in its healthcare infrastructure and address any challenges or issues that may

arise (Chandran, 2018). There are some factors attracting Indonesian medical tourists who seek

medical treatments in Penang, Malaysia which are 1. Effectiveness and accuracy of medical

prescription and treatment 2. Affordable price 3. Feel like Home Away from Home(language,

culture and food) 4. Strong skinship and fellow support groups 5. Improved telecommunication

and connectedness 6. Reliable Transportation System (Abdullah, 2019).

Indonesia as well as Malaysia - The first research is health-care travel in Indonesia and

Malaysia which compare the model of developing medical tourism-based medical services of the

hospitals and related institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia in order to develop solutions about

tourism in Indonesia. According to the results of this study, patients rely on trust, communication

interactions, excellent service, affordable medical costs, modern medical technology, holistic

service, increased patient expectations, short distances, and an interesting Tourism objective

(Ratnasari, 2021).

Azerbaijan - The last study is the different roles of telehealth and telemedicine on

medical tourism: an empirical study from Azerbaijan is also interesting. The study results

showed the communication quality and information quality of telehealth and telemedicine and

their effects on satisfaction have significantly positive influences on willingness to undertake

medical travel. The psychological expectations of the perceived value and perceived cost also

have a positive influence on medical travel. The willingness to participate in medical travel

positively influences medical travel behavior. The results of this study give an implication on the

use of telehealth and telemedicine to enhance the growth of medical tourism (Zhang, 2021).

China - The factors that influence Chinese outbound medical tourism could be divided

into seven themes which were grouped under two dimensions i.e. quality of medical service and

7
convenience. 1. The dimension of quality of medical service comprised the themes of quality of

treatment, quality of customer service, and quality of equipment. 2. The dimension of

convenience consisted of the themes of cost, travel distance, language, and climate (Chia, 2020).

Singapore - From analyzing the factors that influence tourists to select attractions on 100

Indonesian medical tourists, the result shows the five main factors that make Singapore attractive

for medical tourism, and the factors are the atmosphere and medical accuracy, competency and

price, facilities, customer satisfaction, and entertainment (Lianto, 2020)

Key issues

Language barrier

Language barriers can happen in many countries that don't use international language that all

around the world are not familiar with. South Korea is one of the countries that is affected by

language barriers and impact on the medical service. Providing medical service needs to

understand the language of both patient and doctor which if there is some misunderstanding. It

will affect the quality of service (Rokni, 2017). Which is related to Myanmar tourists that come

into Thailand to use a medical service which language also affects satisfaction of service. Some

suggestions said that language barrier may have contributed to this situation (Yin, N. L. 2014).

Japan also faces the language barrier which can lead to serious problems as many patients

couldn’t speak Japanese or English. Inadequate content in patient referral documents and

discordance between information from the referring physician and findings at first examination

(Awano, 2022).

8
Shortage of medical staff

Thailand has faced complications over a shortage of doctors, with only 3.9 doctors per

10,000 people. In contrast, Singapore has 19.2 doctors, Malaysia 12 doctors, and Vietnam 12.2

doctors per 10,000 people (World Health Organization, 2017). In comparative terms, the number

of physicians in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam are higher than Thailand. This situation only

helps to strengthen the competitive advantage of Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, while the

shortage of physicians becomes a challenge for Thailand (Pattharapinyophong, 2019).

Cost of medical tourism

Challenge is the cost of medical tourism in Thailand. While the cost of medical treatment

in Thailand is generally lower than in other countries, it can still be expensive for some patients,

especially if they need to pay for travel and accommodation as well. (Dawson, 2016).

Iran also mentioned the cost of medical tourism, the reputation of the healthcare facilities, and

the low cost of treatment compared to other destinations (Kazemi, 2008). Similar to Indonesia

and Malaysia, their medical tourism is also affordable (Ratnasari, 2021).

Challenges of medical tourism in Asia

There is a challenge for medical tourism occurring in Thailand which is one of the

countries in Asia. According to Chiang Mai Province in Thailand, it has the potential to become

a major health tourism destination due to its natural hot springs and strong community-based

tourism sector. However, implementing health tourism development in the region requires

careful consideration of the challenges and considerations of the "new normal" for tourism in the

post-pandemic context (Kobkitpanitpon, 2022).

9
 Moreover, South Korea also faced some challenges which are mentioned as part of key

issues as well including language barriers, and a limited number of hospitals that are accredited

by international organizations. So, these key issues can be the challenges for medical tourism as

well. These barriers have hindered the growth of medical tourism in the country and suggest that

overcoming these challenges will be key to the success of health tourism development in South

Korea and other destinations (Kim, 2019).

Conclusion

There are many factors that affect the success of medical tourism in Asia, it can be

categorized into different types of factors, whether the decision making factor which takes an

important role to be successful including convenience and the dimension of quality service, the

satisfaction factor, the attractiveness factor, management of the destination and medical tourism

key issues and challenges according to the part of Success factors of medical tourism in Asia,

Key issues and Challenges of medical tourism in Asia.

This report can be contributed and beneficial as following in terms of medication tourism

and relevant industry as following:

1. Guideline for an investor in Asian medical tourism

2. Guideline for hospital development/improvement

3. Educational guideline for those who want to study the overview on the topic "Success

Factors of Medical Tourism in Asia".

4. Useful information for medical staff in other continents

10
 References

Abbaspoura, F. (2021) Medical tourism for COVID-19 post-crisis recovery?

Abdullah, A and Cheah, S (2019). Factors attracting Indonesian medical tourists to Penang

Awano, Nobuyasu & Takamoto, Takeshi & Kawakami, Junko & Genda, Atsuko &
Ninomiya,Akiko & Ikeda, Misato & Matsuno, Fumie & Izumo, Takehiro & Kunitoh, Hideo.
(2019). Issues associated with medical tourism for cancer care in Japan. Japanese journal of
clinical oncology. 49. 10.1093/jjco/hyz061.

Bivek D. (2020). FACTORS AFFECTING THE SATISFACTION LEVEL OF MEDICAL

TOURISTS: A CASE STUDY OF DELHI NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

Boosaraporn, K., Teerapun, T (2022) Analysis of Opportunities and Guidelines for Health
Tourism Potential Development of Natural Hot Spring and Community-Based Tourism in Chiang
Mai Province: Implementation for the New Normal for Tourism.

Chandran, S.D., Puteh, F., Zianuddin, A., Azmi, N.A., & Khuen, W.W. (2018). Key Drivers of
Medical Tourism in Malaysia. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts, 10(1), 15-26.

Chanin O & Amphansookko S & Sriprasert P (2016). Guideline to Medical Tourism

Management in Songkhla Province for Asian Economy Community

Chia, K and Liao, Y (2020). An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing Chinese Outbound
Medical Tourism.

Ferrer, M and Medhekar, A (2012). The Factors Impacting on the Management of Global
Medical Tourism Service Supply Chain

Hyun, S., Kim, L., Haeok (2022) The Future of Medical Tourism for Individuals’ Health and
Well-Being: A Case Study of the Relationship Improvement between the UAE (United Arab
Emirates) and South Korea

Jabbari, Alireza & Delgoshaei, Bahram & Mardani, Raja & Tabibi, Seid. (2012). Medical
tourism in Iran: Issues and challenges. Journal of education and health promotion. 1. 39.
10.4103/2277-9531.104809.

Jeetesh, K., Kashif, H. (2016) Factors Affecting Medical Tourism Destination Selection: A
Malaysian Perspective

Kazemi, (2008) Study of the effective factor for attracting medical tourism in Iran

11
Kim, S., Arcodia, C., & Kim, I. (2019, December 6). Critical success factors of medical
tourism: The case of South Korea. MDPI. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/4964

Komsit, K., & Suchitra, S. (2017) The Study of Potential of Health Tourism Industry of Kerala ,
India.

Ladan, R., Turgay, A., & Sam Hun, P. (2017) Barriers of Developing Medical Tourism in a
Destination: A Case of South Korea

Landreville, P. (2016) Middle Eastern Consumers’ Perceptions towards Medical Tourism in

Thailand.

Lertputtarak, S., Thongra-ar, J., & Samokhin, D. (2022) Factors Attracting Arab Patients to
Travel for Medical Services in Thailand.

Maboodi, M and Hakimi, H (2016). Determinant Factors on Medical Tourism (Case Study: Iran)

Mahmood, J., Singh, J. (2022)An Assessment of service quality in tertiary hospitals and role of
communication for the growth of medical tourism in Asian context including COVID era. An
empirical evidence from India

Martin L. & Widjojo S. & Maizirwan M. (2019). The Analysis Factor of Medical Tourism in
Singapore.

Mueangwong, C. (2016). The role of public sector in cosmetic surgery industry’s development.

Nan Nin Shwe TI Lin (2021) Myanmar Medical Tourism: Myanmar Medical Tourists’
Expectation and Perception of Service Quality at Private and Public Hospitals in Thailand

Naranong, V., & Anchana (2011) The effects of medical tourism: Thailand’s experience

Nawong P (2017). Problems and Guidelines for Developing the Quality of Arabic Interpreters
for Medical Tourism in Thailand

Oberoi, S., & Kansra, P. (2019). Factors influencing medical tourism in India: a critical review.

Pattharapinyophong, W. (2019). The Opportunities and Challenges for Thailand in Becoming

Pensuriya W (2022). Medical tourism of Thailand and the future after COVID-19

Pinpat V (2019). An Approach to Promote Medical Tourism’s Cluster in Thailand

12
Ricafort, K. M. F. (2011). A study of influencing factors that lead Medical tourists to choose
Thailand Hospitals as medical tourism destinations.

Sonpiam, S. (2015) Medical Tourism in Thailand: A cross cultural study of Medical Tourists'
decision-making factors

Sultana S, Haque A, Momen A, Yasmin F. (2014) Factors affecting the attractiveness of medical
tourism destination

Sultana S, Haque A, Momen A & Yasmin F, (2014). Factors Affecting the Attractiveness of
Medical Tourism Destination: An Empirical Study on India- Review Article

Suratthani Rajabhat University, 6(1), 1–16. The Medical Tourism Hub of the ASEAN Region.
Journal of Management Sciences

Tri, R., Gunawan, S., & Salleh, M. (2021)Sustainable medical tourism: Investigating health-care
travel in Indonesia and Malaysia

Yin, N. L. (2014). Decision factors in medical tourism: Evidence from Burmese visitors to a
hospital in Bangkok.

Zhang, G., Zolotarev, O., Yang, S., & humbatova, D. (2021) Different Roles of Telehealth and
Telemedicine on Medical Tourism: An Empirical Study from Azerbaijan

13