A Way Through the Maze: Exploring Differences and Overlaps Between Wellness and Medical Tourism Providers

Abstract

The aims of this chapter are as follows: to develop a typology of medical and wellness tourism providers and to explore differences and overlaps between the two forms of tourism; to examine five provider models where the lines between medical and wellness tourism have been blurred; to compare the concept of wellness with the biomedical conception of health; to provide background information on the broader environment of health care and Western consumer culture, both of which have influenced or played a role in the development of these provider models; to discuss areas for future research.