Health motivations of some type have always influenced travel, whether the traveler’s destination is domestic or international.
Cities, whole regions, and countries may want to enter the international health tourism market, as well as individual health and medical providers. Marketers target a wide range of segments through a variety of channels, such as business-to-business, business-to-consumer, or business-to-government relationships.
The success of these marketing efforts has often been measured in a single parameter: number of visitors or guests. The numbers measured are typically patient or treatment volumes in medical tourism, and guest nights and spa utilization ratios in health & wellness tourism. Comparable, reliable performance data, especially at international scale, are rarely available.
FOCUS ON HEALTH MARKET
As was said at the outset, health tourism is distinguished by the intention of the traveler to consume health, dental, medical, or wellness services at a destination which requires travel. We suggest exploring, researching, and answering the following key questions before undertaking any health tourism marketing actions:
IS HEALTH AT THE CORE OF YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION?
- If health is at the core or your value proposition, then the destination and the service provider are in the health tourism markets.
- If health-related services are supporting elements to the total value proposition, then the destination and the service provider can appeal to, and attract consumer segments looking for healthy options, but the travel is not health-motivated.
The two approaches are not mutually exclusive; health tourism goes hand-in-glove with well-being hospitality, and well-being offerings may evolve into health tourism.
The road to success has seven milestones. Detailed, carefully considered and researched answers to these questions will determine your future success in health tourism. This approach may seem simplistic, but many destinations and service providers would have already benefited from such a rigorous process:
- Resources inventory
What are your assets? Resources for health tourism may be predominantly intangible, for example, a cultural history of preventative care or healing, like Ayurveda. International competitiveness may come from any source which is distinct (perhaps even unique) and may not be standard clinical healthcare practices.
- Readiness check
Are you ready for health or medical visitors? Before announcing yourself to the world, every destination and provider needs a reality check. Expectations and hopes may not be realistic, and if a proper assessment is performed, realistic targets and budgets can be established.
- Partnership definition
Who will help? Health & medical tourism requires strong partnerships from many areas in healthcare, hospitality, transportation/mobility, etc. The customer experience is influenced by many factors outside of the health or wellness providers. Identify your partners who will help to grow your business.
- Strategy preparation
How will we achieve success? Preparation of a health and/or medical tourism development strategy is critical for both destinations and individual service providers. These plans must include financial forecasts.
- Go/No-Go Decision
Based on the collected information, a go/no-go decision must be made. The preparation, planning, and self-assessments take time, and cost money. However, these steps save far more than their direct cost for the destination, developer, and operator.
- Roadmap definition
The roadmap enlists and describes every step of the implementation. This roadmap includes detailed tasks, responsibilities and responsible partners, budgets, and expected outcomes.
- Performance monitoring
How will we know? Without monitoring the performance and results of your efforts to attract health and medical travelers, no real feedback can be provided. The most appropriate performance indicators may not be numbers but may be non-numerical. For example, if the purpose of health and medical travel promotions is to enhance the brand of the destination or provider, success would be evaluated based on perception, awareness and “willingness to recommend” within target markets, and not by the number of travelers accessing the destination, or how much they spend. For the brand of the destination or provider, success would be evaluated based on perception, awareness and ”willingness to recommend” within target markets, and not by the number of travelers accessing the destination, or how much they spend.
Affordable international travel, the internet, rising standards of living around the world, and consumer demand are converging, resulting in growing markets for health tourism.
Destinations as well as providers can participate successfully in these markets by following basic principles of providing high-quality care and services to motivated customers, almost regardless of distance. To attract motivated and qualified consumers and customers, the fundamentals of marketing and effective planning can prevent disappointment and help to ensure success.