Health tourism is a type of tourism that takes place in order to maintain, improve and regain the physical and mental health of a person for a period of more than 24 hours and less than a year. Health tourism is divided into the following three sections:
1) Health tourism: traveling to health villages and mineral water springs without the intervention of a doctor
2) Therapeutic tourism: use of mineral waters, salt, natural mud, sunny areas, etc. Under the supervision and intervention of a doctor
3) Medical tourism: traveling for the purpose of treating illness and performing surgery under the supervision of doctors in medical centers, which includes patient follow-up in addition to treatment.
Health tourism in the world
Health tourism in the world
About 4000 years BC, the Sumerians built the first health complex around the hot springs and began providing medical services. In ancient Greece, people believed that this area was the sanctuary of the god of healing, Asclepius, who would cure their illness. Also, in ancient Rome, in addition to teaching medicine, they established special medical centers for the rich of other countries and provided them with services. Gradually, centers were established in France, England and the whole of Europe to refer foreign patients and provide medical services. In the Islamic world, Mansouri Hospital in Cairo entered the field of competition by admitting 8000 patients and providing medical services. In ancient Iran, Abu Ali Sina divided health services into three categories: spiritual sanatoriums, healing springs and hot springs.
Today, one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry in the world is health tourism, which has caused organizations in countries interested in tourism development to pay attention to this sector of the tourism industry and plan for it. Today, due to the drastic changes in the urban lifestyle, people’s desire to be fit and use natural resources and vitamins, reduce pain and increase mental and physical health is very impressive.
Accordingly, in different parts of the world, natural treatment methods such as the use of hot springs have received much attention, and different classes of people, whether low-income or high-income, have shown a desire towards this type of tourism. Hot springs have become suitable places for creating tourist accommodations, which, along with the creation of recreational centers and the provision of services and facilities in these places, have turned them into first-class tourist destinations for tourists, which provide fun and exciting moments at the same time. Now it will bring them mental health and peace. There are no accurate statistics about financial turnover from medical tourism, but according to the statistics of the World Health Organization, about 50 billion dollars are spent annually on the treatment of regional patients in European and American countries, and absorbing a percentage of this amount can have a significant impact on the tourism economy of Asian countries. The recent issue has caused Asian countries, especially countries that are thinking of moving in the development process, to pay close attention to the income from medical tourism in addition to the need to export medical goods and services. This income has caused some Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand and India to advertise their medical services among the patients of the world.
Health tourism in Iran
Based on its grand plans, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran intends to provide 30% of the country’s medical and health needs through the export of goods, medical services and medical tourism by the end of the fourth development plan.
In 1382, for the first time, the health tourism industry was recognized in Iran’s tourism, and this incident was noticed by the Ministry of Health. In the Middle East, Iran is known as a reliable and reliable destination for health tourists. In 1391, 30,000 people came to Iran to receive medical services, and in 1394, approximately 150,000 to 200,000 health tourists came to Iran. Compared to its regional competitors, Iran charges less for providing quality medical services and is a higher priority for health tourism. Health tourists who choose Iran as their destination are more than Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain and Turkey. We should know that creating appropriate infrastructure and focusing on providing high-quality medical services and the responsibility of the medical staff in the process of medical tourism will lead to the growth and development of this industry in Iran. The main competitors of Iran in the field of health tourism in the West Asia region are Turkey, Dubai, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.