Medical and Health Tourism: Similarities and Differences

Background. Wellness and medical tourism are important areas in the tourism and healthcare industry, which are actively developing around the world. Both types of tourism are aimed at improving the health and overall well-being of travelers, but there are important differences between them regarding goals, treatment methods, and travel arrangements. Understanding these differences and similarities allows to more accurately identify the target groups of tourists and also contributes to the development of strategies for the successful development of these areas in the fields of tourism and healthcare. The purpose of the study is to consider approaches to the definition of the concepts of medical and health tourism and to identify their common and distinctive features that affect the use of terminology in scientific and practical research. Materials and methods. The study used content analysis of scientific literature on the issues of wellness and medical tourism, as well as methods of grouping and generalization. Medical tourism should be considered a type of tourism for the purpose of obtaining medical care without using natural healing resources. Results. The scientific research in medical tourism demonstrates a high degree of heterogeneity of methodological approaches to the definition of the most basic concept that delineates the object and subject of study. The primary shared characteristics of these sectors encompass a focus on health improvement, specialized infrastructure, the nature of the target audience, marketing and advertising, the availability of international quality standards, integration with tourism infrastructure, the impact on health and quality of life, and the participation of qualified personnel. The main differences can be determined through the following parameters: target audience groups, risk and degree of medical intervention, legal and insurance aspects, financial motivation, duration and nature of recovery, goals and expectations from the trip, treatment methods and procedures, and financial aspects.