What is medical tourism?
medical tourism means traveling across the borders of countries and cities to receive medical services. These medical services cover a wide range of medical issues. The most widely used of these services are: dentistry, dermatology and cosmetics, surgery and infertility treatment.
The history of health tourism dates back to thousands of years ago, when the Greeks traveled to areas in the eastern Mediterranean called Epirus. This was the holy place of God, the healer of Asclepius.
Travel to hydrotherapy cities has been one of the first destinations for health tourism. In the 18th century, Europeans traveled to these hot springs to use mineral springs to treat gout, liver disorders and bronchitis.
Types of health tourists
Medical tourist (medical tourist)
Health Tourist
Health tourists are looking for services such as fitness, exercise, beauty treatments, healthy diet and weight control, relaxation and stress relief, meditation, yoga, and health-related training.
Medical tourists (medical tourists) are divided into the following types based on travel motivation:
Short-term travel: These include people whose purpose is to travel and in such a trip need medical services for various reasons or acute illness. These people are not named as medical tourists, unlucky travelers is a better title!
Long-term residence: Many people travel to European countries for work or study and, for example, may need medical services during their stay. This category is also not considered a medical tourist.
Common borders: Some countries have common borders to support their public budgets, and people from one country may travel to another country for treatment through these common borders.
Outsourced patients: Patients who are referred by health tourism companies outside the city or country of residence for medical treatment. These trips are due to a long waiting list or lack of relevant specialist or lack of required equipment in the city or country of residence.
In recent decades, an increase in diseases, skilled professionals as well as medical technology has led to the increasing growth of medical services.
Health tourism has opened up the role of industry, advertising, travel interest and the demand for medical services.
Today, health tourists travel around the world in both directions: from developed countries to developing countries and vice versa. Developed countries are the main fans of health tourists due to the long waiting list and high costs of treatment in the country.
