Attraction Hubs in International Health Tourism: A Destination-Oriented Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17832636Özet
This study examines the emerging “attraction hubs” of international health tourism through a destination-based perspective. Using secondary data from Health-Tourism.com, a global online medical tourism directory and marketplace, the analysis focuses on the platform’s “most searched and clicked” destinations and featured medical centers. The study first maps the spatial concentration of demand across leading countries such as India, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, the Philippines, Turkey, Mexico and Singapore, and identifies the main treatment specialties associated with these hubs (e.g. cancer care, cardiac surgery, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatment, neurology and orthopedics). It then interprets these patterns in relation to cost differentials, perceived service quality, geographical proximity, and digital visibility. Rather than providing patient-level clinical data, the platform offers a behavioral indicator of interest and search intensity, which can be used as a proxy for destination popularity in the global medical tourism market. The findings suggest that international health tourism is structured around a limited number of regional hubs in Asia, Europe–Mediterranean and Latin America, with Turkey occupying a strategic position at the intersection of these flows. The article concludes by discussing the implications of destination-based digital data for health policy, national branding and competitive positioning in medical tourism.
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