Opportunities for Latvian export of medical services

Abstract

Historical and current development tendencies of medical tourism in Latvia, economic and geographical accessibility of Latvia for medical tourists, the high acknowledgement by the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism on the potential of Latvia of becoming one of the largest medical tourism destination points, allow us to evaluate the potential for medical tourism among the priority countries for Latvia. Unfortunately, the lack of further analysis of potential limits the development of medical tourism strategy and monitoring. The research goal: determination of export potential of medical tourism services in the priority countries for Latvia. The research showed that there is a potential in every of the given countries: in Norway - rehabilitation and insert of acrylic implants; in Sweden - endovenous laser surgery and eyelid surgery; in Finland - rehabilitation and breast enlargement; in Ireland - rehabilitation and eyelid surgery; in Great Britain - rehabilitation and eyelid surgery. Results of the SWOT analysis indicated that in order to reach the export goals the existing drawbacks to the provision of medical tourism services in Latvia have to be averted while amplifying the use of the comparative advantages of Latvia.