Medical tourism as a tool of preventive medicine

Objective. To substantiate the role of medical tourism for preventive medicine system considering morbidity patterns in the Stavropol Krai and the Russian Federation. Material and methods. Regulatory framework, data from the Federal State Statistics Service (2020—2024) and practices regarding integration of medical tourism into preventive medicine system were analyzed. Results. Morbidity in the Stavropol Krai aligns closely with national trends. Respiratory diseases are the most common in the region and the Russian Federation (35.8% of all diagnoses). The Stavropol Krai has demonstrated steady economic growth: the number of tourist arrivals increased by 70.4%, and tourism sector revenues rose by 92.7% (2020—2024). Development of sanatorium and health resort sector in the Caucasian Mineral Waters region resulted in a 16.1% increase in revenue (2023—2024). Conclusion. Integrating medical tourism into preventive medicine system contributes to better public health outcomes and socio-economic development.