Destination image and customer loyalty in medical tourism

INTRODUCTION

1.1. MEDICAL TOURISM - AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Medical tourism (MT) is a rapidly growing sector, which involves traveling

across international borders in order to obtain complete healthcare. India is recognized as

a medical tourism destination hub that attracts, medical travelers /tourists mostly from

other places. A few reasons for medical travel are world-class medical care at considerably

low cost(based on 2002 data, an inpatient knee surgery would cost USD 10,000 in the

USA and just USD 1,500 at hospitals in India), Mattoo & Rathindran (2006), the most

modern technology, competent medical and related specialists. These are the most

striking decisive factors of medical travelers. Table 1.1 shows the different factors

influencing medical tourists in choosing a particular destination.