Formulating Strategic Plan of Medical Tourism Development

Abstract

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Medical tourism is the travel of patients to outside the area of life to benefit from hospitals and medical services or some particular treatment or periodic test of physical conditions. This study has been done with the purpose of formulating a strategic plan of medical tourism development of Ahwaz city. <br/><strong>Methods:</strong> The method of this research is a descriptive-analytical one that has been done by using a field of work and strategic planning methods for performing a backup analysis and delivering policies and strategies. <br/><strong>Results:</strong> The results of the research indicates 16 strength points against 12 weakness points that results in earning the final score of 2.44 from the internal factors. Also, the numbers of 10 opportunities again 10 threats are recognized in related to medical tourism development of Ahwaz city. This has eventually leaded into earning a total final score of 2.8 from the external factors for medical tourism development of Ahwaz city. <br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The results of applying the strategic planning method indicated that the city of this case study is having relatively higher opportunities and strengths in compared to the weakness points and external threats for the development of medical tourism. Thus, growth Strategies (SO) have been considered as a priority for the development of this part. Also, studies show that the lack of adequate and sufficient publicity and problems in the exportation of visa and also the lack of planning and cooperation and coordination in between the parts related to the absorption of medical tourism are problems that must be solved.