Competitiveness attributes of a medical tourism destination: The case of South Korea with importance-performance analysis

This study aims to explore the importance and performance of medical tourism destination competitiveness (TDC). The aims were achieved by collecting empirical data on the perceptions of stakeholders in the medical tourism industry in South Korea. Results from the importance–performance analysis (IPA) revealed that medical TDC is primarily influenced by medical treatments and services, destination attributes, and tourism-specific factors. This study not only enhances tourism literature, but also contributes significantly to the existing literature on competitiveness. The study provides useful marketing insights for medical tourism suppliers in South Korea and countries in similar situations with the relevant industry.     

Medical Tourism—Attracting Japanese Tourists For Medical Tourism Experience

This study aimed at examining the intention of Japanese tourists to travel to Korea in a medical tourism context by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A total of 237 responses were analyzed via structural equation modeling to test two dimensions of medical tourism models. A total of 14 salient belief items in the health treatment model and 16 salient belief items in the beautification model were identified. Reshaping dimensions of medical tourism and the proved applicability of the TPB extends the knowledge of medical tourism and understanding of Japanese tourists' travel intentions in a medical tourism context. The findings indicate the industry practitioners should put effort into attracting Japanese medical tourists. This research has shown that authorities should influence word-of-mouth information exchange and should seek feedback to develop marketing strategies. Publicity should be coordinated with professional bodies in the originating and destination countries. The research further indicates that regulatory and safety regulations must be in place with easy access to information.     

Characteristics of a Medical Tourism Industry: The Case of South Korea

This study investigates the process involved in developing a medical tourism industry in South Korea as a case country, one of the fastest growing countries with strong potential in the medical tourism industry. It analyzed 252 articles on medical tourism posted on the websites of the Korean Tourism Organization and the Korean International Medical Association. Both sources are highly representative portal websites for medical tourism in the country. The article aims to enhance understanding of medical tourism as a new growth industry while identifying its key developmental characteristics and makes valuable suggestions for the industry that can be reflected to other countries. The study contributes theoretically and practically by examining the unique and updated characteristics and process of positioning of this recently emerging field in the global tourism industry.     

Ecotourism resilience to climate change in Dana Biosphere Reserve,Jordan

Increasingly tourism destinations worldwide have to face the threats associated with climate change. Because of these threats, there is a growing need to develop and reinforce the adaptive capacity of tourism systems to cope with current and future challenges. In tourism studies, resilience assessments are a relatively new approach used to ascertain stakeholders’ opinions regarding the human and natural conditions that are likely to increase the capacity of the tourism system to successfully cope with disturbances. This study examined local communities in and around Dana Biosphere Reserve (Jordan), specifically perspectives regarding the social, environmental, governance and economic dimensions of resilience that theoretically support the capacity of the ecotourism system to withstand or adapt to climate change. The results indicated perceived moderate resilience to climate-change-related threats in the environment dimensions of the study, and scope for further development of resilience in the social, economic and governance dimensions. Ultimately, further adaptation planning and policies appear necessary, to ensure robust and proactive measures are in place to respond to climate change threats and to protect the ecotourism socio-ecological system in Dana Biosphere Reserve.     

Border resident perceptions of sanctions and tourism: A case study of North Korea

Sanctions have been increasingly used as a diplomatic practice among international actors. Although sanctions have offered important insights into the global tourism system, relevant understandings require further research endeavour. This study explores border resident perceptions of sanctions and tourism in the case of North Korea. It involves an analysis of in-depth interviews with residents of Dandong - the largest Chinese border city facing North Korea. The findings reveal that the economic and tourism development of both North Korea and Dandong are considered to be disrupted by sanctions. In addition to the perceived negative impacts brought by sanctions, the study also uncovers relevant positive impacts. Furthermore, it suggests that sanctions tend to be interpreted and evaluated by residents through short- and long-term perspectives. The study advances the emerging interdisciplinary progress of tourism and sanctions through unpacking and highlighting the influences of sanctions on residents and tourism of border city.     

South Korea's Medical Tourism Destination Brand Personality and the Influence of Personal Values

Adopting Aaker's brand personality scale, this study aimed to determine South Korea's medical tourism destination personality. Based on a survey of US consumers, the results indicate that South Korea's medical tourism destination personality comprised three dimensions: sincerity, competence, and ruggedness. Furthermore, sincerity and competence positively influenced consumers' willingness to travel to South Korea for medical care. This study also found that personal values, in particular excitement, self-respect, sense of belonging, and being well respected, were significant positive predictors of South Korea's medical tourism destination personality. Marketing implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered. This study serves as a starting point for further research on medical tourism destination brand personality.     

A cross-cultural study of perceptions of medical tourism among Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists in Korea

The purpose of this study is to observe factors related to perceptions of and possible participation in medical tourism by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean visitors to Jeju Island in Korea. It aims to identify cultural differences among them, and how those differences affect their pursuit of medical tourism in the future. The research results illustrate that significant differences exist in how Chinese, Japanese and Korean visitors view factors of choice, discomfort and preferred product items. The study establishes four factor groups regarding medical tourism with exploratory factor analysis. Based on these findings, differences of participation intention and behaviors among the three groups are explained. From this, the study describes distinct characteristics of medical tourism among the three cultural groups. The differences among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tourists with regard to the selection of destination, inconveniences, and preferred products were found to be all significant. Korean tourists placed most significance on selection factors, followed by Chinese tourists, and, lastly, the Japanese. On the other hand, inconveniences related to medical and care services, stay and cost, and information and insurance elements were most strongly associated with Japanese tourists. This may be a reflection of a possible tendency of Japanese tourists to value safety and cost effectiveness. For Chinese tourists, the importance of stay and cost was equally high as those of their Japanese counterparts, which is indicative of Chinese tourists’ cost sensitivity. Light treatments (minor surgery) were preferred by Chinese tourists, while more significant treatments (major surgery) were preferred by Japanese tourists. In terms of aesthetic and healthcare services, Chinese tourists showed the most interest, while Japanese tourists placed emphasis on rehabilitation (lifestyle-related), which may reflect the Korean Wave’s influence in certain Chinese market segments, leading to an increased demand for cosmetic or plastic surgery.     

区域旅游一体化能实现吗？——基于Salop模型的SPNE研究

文章基于Salop圆周城市模型, 在区域旅游产品特征及区域旅游合作方式分类的基础上, 研究区域旅游一体化的最佳合作方式及实现条件; 考虑区域旅游地合作方式对利润及旅游产品价格的影响, 通过区分区域旅游地的资源导向和市场及形象导向型两种常见情况, 引入两阶段博弈法, 按照两种区域旅游利润最大化的合作方式分别进行求解。结果表明：区域旅游合作是基于旅游产品的差异、同质化程度, 采取不同的协调方式进行的, 主线是促进差异化, 控制同质产品的内部竞争力;追求各自利润最大化下的契约式合作是区域旅游合作的最佳方式。如果政府间要实行行政组织一体化策略, 则只有在各旅游地旅游产品同质化时才易推行, 但是这种竞争状态并不稳定;区域旅游一体化是要利用行政力量削弱行政壁垒, 倡导市场要素流动的无障碍化。     

Development of the Convention Industry in Korea

ABSTRACT

The convention industry in Korea has experienced a rapid development, and the hosting of international meetings and events has emerged as a major business in Korea's tourism industry. This paper provides an overview of the development of the convention industry in Korea and assesses the current convention market by applying SWOT analysis. The country's current marketing strategies are also evaluated. The analysis suggests that Korea has great opportunities to emerge as a new international convention destination in the 21st century. The future growth of Korea's convention industry depends on whether the country can manage the challenges better than competitors with effective marketing strategies.     

The main paths of medical tourism: From transplantation to beautification

Medical tourism, combining the very polarized purposes of pleasurable travel and potentially stressful health care services, is an emergent and growing business worldwide. Medical tourism patients are willing to travel abroad to seek better quality, lower cost, domestically unavailable, no wait-time destinations for non-emergency medical care. There are numerous related studies in the academic literature that are substantiated with multidisciplinary and diverse backgrounds. This study uses the main path analysis, a unique quantitative and citation-based approach, to analyze the significant development trajectories, important literature, and recent active research areas in medical tourism. We find that there are two distinctive development paths: one path focuses more on the evolution of medical tourism, the motivation factors, marketing strategies, and economic analysis; the other path emphasizes organ transplant and related issues. These two paths eventually merge to a common node in the citation network, which foretells transplantation to beautification as the future research direction trend.     

Modeling Japanese Tourism Demand for Asian Destinations: A Dynamic AIDS Approach

This paper investigates the expenditure allocation of Japanese international tourism in its five major Asian destinations, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The dynamic of linear approximation the almost ideal demand system is used to determine the long-run equilibrium while the short-run dynamics are represented by an error correction mechanism. The empirical results indicate that the changes in market shares of Japanese outbound tourism are significantly influenced by the changes in tourists' expenditure, rather than the changes in relative tourism prices. The results show that Japan expenditure rises, the market share of Taiwan and Thailand declines, while Korea benefits. In addition, price competitiveness is important for Japanese demand for Korea, but is relatively unimportant for the other destinations.     

The Margins of Texel

This paper analyses the sustainable development of tourism on the island of Texel, The Netherlands. It utilises the so-called 'corporate response model to the macro-marketing environment' to conceptualise the multi-dimensionality of the sustainability concept. This model differentiates among four 'margins' within which a tourism region operates. These margins are 'profit', 'risk', 'ecological' and 'socio-cultural'. The paper discusses a number of issues that are particularly relevant to the sustainable development of tourism. These include economic over-reliance on tourism, environmental management, land use conflicts and liveability. These issues are positioned at the interface between adjoining margins, and they represent spatial practices, conceptualisations of these practices as well as struggles over the symbolic construction of Texel. The analysis also reveals some existing strategies for sustainable development of tourism that are transferable to other regions. Although the case of Texel presents interesting practices and strategies of sustainable tourism, the overall balance in terms of results is still meagre.     

基于分形理论的区域旅游中心地规模与空间结构研究——以湖南省为例

旅游中心地对区域旅游的发展起着十分重要的作用,其规模和空间结构是否合理,将在很大程度上影响区域旅游发展的效益和质量.文章首次尝试运用分形理论分析区域旅游中心地的规模和空间结构,并以湖南省为例进行了实证研究.研究结果表明:采用分形理论来研究区域旅游中心地规模和空间结构是可行的;分形理论和方法是优化区域旅游中心地规模和空间结构,促进区域旅游发展的有效工具.     

A cross-cultural comparison of fast food restaurant selection criteria between Korean and Filipino college students

Despite the globalization of the hospitality and tourism industry, present cross-cultural research is limited to examining consumer behaviors or perceptions on the products and services the industry provides. The current exploratory study between Korea and the Philippines investigates college students’ perceptions on the fast food restaurant selection criteria with respect to the attributes they feel are important. A conjoint analysis, proven as a statistical marketing research tool with strong predictive power of consumer choices among multi-attribute product alternatives, was utilized for the analysis of the data for the study, and the analysis revealed that both Koreans and Filipinos viewed Menu Price as the most important attribute. Next important attributes, in Korea, were followed by brand, food-related factors and service- and hygiene-related factors, while in the Philippines, they were food-related factors, service- and hygiene-related factors and brand. This type of study is requisite for globalization of the food service industry in developing effective marketing strategies and establishing operational strategies, by understanding the different components of the Asian food service industry relative to the US market.     

Interpretive structural modeling of quality factors in both medical and hospitality services in the medical tourism industry

This study aims to theoretically integrate quality factors of both medical and hospitality services in medical tourism. Medical tourism comprises both medicine and tourism. Although the core product in medical tourism is medical treatment, attractive hospitality and travel options are also essential. Despite the dual nature of medical tourism, the two aspects of this concept have not been integrated in a unique framework. This study attempts to fill this gap using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). According to ISM, although factors of medical services and hospitality services are independent from each other, these factors have vital impacts on perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty.     

Does a Food-themed TV Drama Affect Perceptions of National Image and Intention to Visit a Country? An Empirical Study of Korea TV Drama

A Korean TV drama series (Daejanggeum), with a story line focusing on Korean food, was exported to over 50 countries resulting in a surprisingly popular mega-hit. The popularity of this TV drama, transcended across countries and cultural boundaries, has brought an enhancement to the national image of Korea or national brand, and led to a surge in sales of Korean industrial products, as well as an increased interest in Korean tourism resources. This study attempted to empirically investigate the effects of the TV drama series on the national image and intention to visit Korea as perceived by Chinese diners. Interestingly, the “peculiarity of Korean culture” was a main reason for preferring Korean cuisine, which positively affected the perception of the national image and the intention to visit Korea to partake in food tourism. Further, this study suggests that future studies are needed to compare the results of this research according to national, ethnic, regional, or religious boundaries. The comparison of other ethnic groups will be helpful for establishing different marketing strategies according to the different cohorts with different consumption patterns.     

Is It Difficult to Market a City as a Convention Destination?

Abstract

Convention tourism is a very lucrative form of tourism and is becoming one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. Greece, a traditional tourist destination worldwide, has not developed its convention sector satisfactorily. This paper presents the outcome of a small scale qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews with six experts of organizing meetings and conventions, which were undertaken in order to explore the potential of Thessaloniki as a convention destination by assessing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The results revealed that Thessaloniki has a potential to develop this special form of tourism and ameliorate the low tourist inflow. However, it is a difficult task, mainly due to the lack of cooperation among the city's stakeholders.     

International tourism model for developing economies

This article considers international tourism as an open system consisting of four essential components: demand, marketing, transportation, and accomodation. It examines each component and its relationship to the system. The proposed international tourism model facilitates detection of positive and negative determinants of the system so that a relevant marketing strategy can be developed. The major strategies include a mass-marketing approach for public through tourism intermediaries, and a focused strategy requiring careful analysis of the target market and its needs for unique services. More specifically, the article suggests extensive market analysis with geographic concentration on present and potential tourist generating countries. The model is intended as a comprehensive frame for policy makers and practitioners to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of international tourism.     

Medical tourism development in Hong Kong: An assessment of the barriers

The aim of this study is to determine the factors influencing the development of medical tourism in Hong Kong. A qualitative research method was adopted to collect data from representatives of private and public hospitals, government bodies, and medical institutions. The results reveal that policies and regulations, government support, costs, capacity problems, and the healthcare needs of the local community are the main barriers to the development of such tourism. Several strategies for lifting these barriers are suggested, such as new promotional activity policies, government action to encourage investment in the medical tourism market, and cooperative efforts by the hospitality sector and medical institutions to develop medical tourism products.     

Tourism Planning and Development in Crete: Recent Tourism Policies and their Efficacy

Focusing on the island of Crete, the study on which this paper is based recognises the importance of tourism for the economy. Due to extreme resource utilisation by mass tourism developments, insufficient planning and limited co-ordination and collaboration between the bodies involved in tourism activities, tourism can have a negative impact and conflicts may escalate. These conflicts are mainly related to the concentration of tourist arrivals in time and space, inappropriate use of resources, and limited incorporation of the community in the development and planning process. To offer solutions, various policies and strategies have been proposed/adopted at regional level. However, it is questionable whether the actions currently undertaken are efficient enough for the amelioration of tourism problems. A regional master plan is necessary in order to eliminate costs and ensure future balanced development.