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Introduction
Modern-day life is increasingly becoming stressful and hectic. People have to work longer and harder in a bid to fulfill their life expectations. Despite the fact that stress is seen as an unavoidable fact, minimizing it is crucial to maintaining a healthy population. Tourism that focuses on health and well-being is developed to include several activities that lead to action as well as passive relaxation effects. This paper analysis ten academic works developed on the subject of tourism, health and well-being.
Its analysis the effectiveness of the methodology adopted in developing the topic and points out the strongest contributions and the interrelationship of the ideas presented in the article.
Health tourism
Numerous academic writings have been developed regarding the relationship between health and tourism prompted by the realization that tourism is one of the most effective relaxation effects. Goodrich (1993) in a study of the state of health tourism in Cuba provides a very clear historical perspective of health tourism. He argues that in the early times, people periodically left their homes and went to areas near water bodies like rivers, mineral springs, and lakes to relax and access some healing properties. He uses an example of stories given about the people bathing in the Nile, the Ganges as well as the Yangtze. The sources to back such stories are very weak. More importantly, he discusses the interaction of tourism and health with health being viewed as a major consideration in the tourism industry. This view converges with the study conducted by Cohen (1988) which presents a historical case of sex tourism and implications on the emergence of AIDS, a sexually transmitted disease. The implications on the health of both locals and visitors are of concern in both articles. Yang and Chen (2009) bring in the element of intermittent health concerns resulting from epidemics such as SARS. The works are very educating on the gravity of health concerns on international tourism. As a student, I learn that the association of tourism and health is an age-old concept, which has been ignored in academic circles.
Jones (2003) in an analysis of the effect of the holiday taking on the well-being of cancer patients found out that there were several positive results. First, they regained independence due to the new hope, energy boost and newfound optimism. Secondly, the patients undergo the rebuilding of personal confidence and inner strength. Thirdly, the patients had their social effectiveness boosted by the experience of meeting and interacting with new people. His work informs on the therapeutic effect of tourism on patients. Similar views are shared by Jones (2005) in his exploration of the relationship between health and research. In this study, the vocational needs of patients at various stages of illness. A critical observation was that different patients at different social-economic levels respond positively but in different measures to different respondents. Again, the argument on the therapeutic effect of tourism is reinforced by the work done by Goodrich (1993). He tells of the low-key Cuban popularity of Cuban health Spas where springs and radioactive water containing high sulfur are commonly recommended by doctors. The argument developed by Kaspar (1990) alludes to the same argument. He points out the international recognition of the therapeutic value of tourism as witnessed by the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism. He agrees that classical spas are evolving to take up some of the functions of health centers.
On the same issue, Altes (2005) develops different approaches as health tourism becomes more prominent. She points out aspects such as population aging, lifestyle changes, tourism Alternatives, restrictions on entry and practice by health service providers, and other such issues as they relate to health tourism. The article does not engage in any data analysis but adopts an analytical look at the various reports developed by various authors. It is very educative in bringing out the short descriptions of the numerous interplays of factors influencing health tourism ranging from healthcare to changing tastes, government involvement, and others. The paper uses simple language and offers a wide range of teachings in very short literature. However, for some of the issues raised, a little more explanation should be offered to improve on clarity.
Tourism for medical services
A different perspective of health tourism is explained by Lee (2009). In this recent article, he establishes the relationship between the quality of healthcare services and tourism. Lee focused on Singapore, which has deliberate measures to attract tourists to the tune of one million by the year 2012. In the study, he used the number of doctors per 10000 people in Singapore (HEALTH) as a measure of the state of healthcare and the number of tourist arrivals denoted as (TOUR) to represent international tourist demand. Data on HEALTH is obtained from the health ministry while data on TOUR is obtained from Singapore Tourist Board. The bounds testing approach to cointegration and the Granger causality test is conducted. Results show that there is no causal relationship between health and tour. However, there is a long-term causality between the two. The lesson learned here is that first, there exists a special group of tourists whose aim is not primarily leisure-based but rather to search for medical services. Secondly, attempts to improve the quality of health services yield long-term as opposed to short-term results. The data used is credible as it originates from the government of Singapore as well as the STB, which are credible institutions with the requisite resources and intent. The notable fault is in the choice of variable especially the HEALTH. HEALTH is defined as the number of medical doctors per 10000 people in Singapore and is supposedly representative of the quality of healthcare services. This is a very narrow view of healthcare services. A broader weighted scale taking to consider investments in areas like research, facilities, and supporting infrastructure should be adopted in defining the level of healthcare services. The work is however readable as it uses simple English and is currently having been published in the year 2009 and analyzing recent data collected as late as the year 2007.
On the same issue of tourism in search of healthcare, Goodrich (1993) observes that Cuba also attracts people from Latin America for medical examinations on top of those touring for leisure. The glut of medical doctors existing in Cuba is utilized by encouraging the inflow of patients from the neighboring countries. This reaffirms the lessons on the viability of investing in healthcare services as a deliberate effort towards improving tourism. This study is purely a theoretical approach towards the interaction between healthcare and tourism. It extends the discussion on health tourism by incorporating various dimensions of health tourism such as the travel care service and the AIDS crisis. It does not conduct empirical analysis but relies heavily on the newspaper articles and works of previous authors to bring out the various aspects of health tourism. The article is however easy to read and openly incorporates real-world scenarios such as the naming of Cubas best spa resorts like San Vicente de Los Banos located in Pinar del Rio where water skiing, deep-sea fishing, and cave exploring are offered: San Miguel Los Banos which has five springs of radioactive carbonated water and others. There is also a very elaborate demonstration of how travel healthcare services operate in certain parts of the world especially to older tourists. The article is written in easy language and though it is more than a decade old, it reflects many of the realities happening in the current world.
MacLaurin (2003) develops arguments about the concerns of travelers with a special focus on food. The article concerns the importance of food safety in travel planning. It tells of the relationship between the choice of destinations and the perceived risk of food-borne diseases and the respondent’s sources of information. They involved Singaporeans residing in housing estates and attendees at a travel fair held in Singapore. Random selection was applied and a questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were collected concerning the importance of food safety in travel decisions, information search, and reliability prior to traveling and demographics. Moreover, Tarlow (2006) incorporates the issue of health safety and security. Terrorism is increasingly targeting tourism sites. Fears of attacks while abroad are highly fueled by the media.. In this report, the author engages in a discussion relating to the safety and security of tourists abroad. It acknowledges the multiplying effects held by tourism on the entire economies and the negative effect of tourism on the economy. The paper is simply written to develop arguments concerning international security. It is a recent paper developed in the tone of an activist.
MacLaurin (2003) measures the importance of food by perceptions of food safety, a priority of food safety in travel decisions as well as regions avoided for concerns of food hygiene. A five-point agreement scale was developed. Results showed that over half of frequent travelers did not agree that food safety was important to them. The indication is that a larger majority of frequent travelers had little concern about food safety. The article is current and most importantly reflects modern phenomena very accurately. It uses reliable sources and offers great lessons on the factors influencing the choice of destination. An emerging issue in the determination of destinations is the proliferation of high-class hotels, which are international in nature and well trusted to make high-quality local foods for those traveling abroad. In addition, Yang and Chen (2009) further analyze the economic impact of tourism in the upsurge of pandemics. He uses the SARS outbreak in Taiwan to demonstrate the enormous impact of tourism on the economy. The article adopts a country-based model described by a series of equations. Several assumptions concerning market competitiveness for inputs and outputs as well as factor mobility are made. The year 2001 was established as the base year due to the availability of data. The Input-Output matrix was adopted by introducing factors of production. Data on labor and capital are from the yearbook of Manpower statistics and The trends of Multifactor productivity. The two are credible data sources of data. The paper language used is advanced but there is adequate use of flowcharts, graphs, and tables to demonstrate the complex interactions of the variables. The paper is very strong in identifying variables that most closely represent the intended situation. The findings reaffirmed the negative effect of outbreaks on tourism-related industries. The finding adds to the list of concerns in determining destinations. Concerns for personal health are paramount.
Wilks, Pendergast and Wood (2000) introduce a slightly different perspective of the concerns in determining the destinations of choice. The authors engage in an analysis of the causes of death for foreigners in Australia. The intention is to reassure foreigners of their safety, especially after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. The study indulges in a comprehensive literature review that brings together the views of numerous scholars, analysts, and news reporters on the issue of security, safety, and healthcare in Australia. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics was used. The findings showed that the largest number of deaths for foreigners in Australia resulted from natural deaths. The paper is very rich in analysis and is easily readable. It however relies heavily on newspaper reports and other sources prone to bias. In fact, though the paper appears largely credible, it can be seen as one intended to paint a picture of the high safety standards in Australia on potential international travelers especially tourists who keenly consider the security, safety and healthcare systems available.
As can be seen, the articles are very informative on the issue of health tourism. The products associated with health tourism are gaining popularity. As a student, I have learned several different aspects of tourism. Tourism is very sensitive to issues such as safety, security, and the presence of healthcare services. I have better understood that a significant portion of tourists is patients in search of better medical services. The products offered in health tourism are effective both in healing and in offering therapeutic effects on patients.
Reference list
Cohen, E., 1998. Tourism and AIDS in Thailand. Annals of Tourism Research, 12, PP.467-486.
Alte´s, A., 2005. Tourism Services. Annals of Tourism Research, 32 (1), pp.262–266.
Hunter-Jones, P., 2003. The Perceived effects of Holiday-taking upon the health and wellbeing of patients treated for cancer. International Journal of Tourism Research, 5, PP. 183-196.
Hunter-Jones, P., 2005. Cancer And Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(1), pp. 70–92.
Goodrich, J.N., 1993. Socialist Cuba: A Study of Health Tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 32, PP. 36-41.
Kaspar, C., 1990. A New Lease on Life for Spa and Health Tourism. P.298.
Lee, C.G., 2009. Heath care and tourism: Evidence from Singapore. Tourism Management, PP. 1-3.
MacLaurin, T.L., 2003. The Importance of Food Safety in Travel Planning and Destination Selection. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 15(4), 233— 257.
Tarlow, P., 2006. Issues in Health, Safety and Security. E-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), 4(3), PP. 12-14.
Wilks, J., Pendergast, D.L., & Wood, M.T., 2002. Commentary: Overseas Visitor Deaths in Australia. Current Issues in Tourism, 5(6), PP. 550-551.
Yanga, H., & Chenb, K., 2009. A general equilibrium analysis of the economic impact of a tourism Crisis: a case study of the SARS epidemic in Taiwan. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 1(1), 37–60.
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