Strategic Analysis of Destinations Based on the use of Medical Tourism Index

Abstract

According to the forecasts of the World Health Organization by 2022, tourism and healthcare should become the leading sectors of the global economy. The development of medical tourism generates a significant multiplier effect for the global economy and is able to make a significant contribution to complementing the country's budget – the macrodestination of medical tourism. In countries, the leaders of medical tourism, the annual income from incoming health and medical tourism reaches hundreds of millions of dollars and makes a significant contribution to replenishing the country's budget and accounts for about 2% of world GDP. Typization of medical tourism destinations under the IMT can be considered as a basis for an effective system of strategic management. The classification of medical tourism destinations is based on the general classification of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the regional systematization of the Medical Tourism Association, which is used to rank the countries behind the BMI. Taking into account that the international tourism forms the organizational form of medical tourism, the tools of the same for all countries should be based on the strategic analysis of its individual destinations. One such tool may be the Medical Tourism Index (BMI). The article studies the elements of the conceptual model of the Medical Tourism Index. A classification of megadetions of medical tourism has been developed. The subindeks of medical tourism are described, which calculates the general index and is defined in the conceptual model developed by the Medical Tourism Association. The general indices of medical tourism are analyzed in terms of their main components in the world's top five countries - the leaders of this industry.