Medical tourism: The new favorite tourist market

Abstract

Medical tourism, a new form of tourism industry flourishing around the world, holds a huge market potential in China. Its definition and related issues are under the way of being carefully examined with quite a concern on its development conditions and strategies. China, a late boomer in medical tourism, is in a total different social and economical situation and in urgent need to get close scrutiny in its new favourite tourist market. Thus, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is conducted in Chinese tourism development strategies and conditions.