Opportunities, challenges and implications of medical tourism development in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study revealed two different sets of push and pull factors affecting the medical travel decision process of two groups of mainland Chinese to Hong Kong, including potential and experienced medical tourists. The relations between identified factors and their willingness of personal visit and recommendation were also investigated. Regarding the recommendation intention, interpersonal acquisition and personal needs satisfaction are mostly considered by travelers in psychological level while recognized high medical reception capacity and quality are also prioritized in the pull aspect. However, local medical service constraints, perceived quality of medical experience shaped by healthcare suppliers, and destination attributes determine the two groups' responses to personal visit intention. Besides, the advantages of developing medical tourism in Hong Kong are implicated as can-be-perceived unique cultural attribute, mass tourism fame as medical tourism development basis, and reputation for high-quality care formed with unintentional or deliberate promotion from third parties and various marketing channels.