Transformative Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Tourism

This study aims to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism and the medical tourism industry in particular. An interdisciplinary approach, incorporating mixed research methods, is employed. The quantitative analysis relies on data from the UN World Tourism Organization and the World Bank, while the qualitative analysis involves a review of literature and case studies. The results indicate a significant decline in tourist flows by country in 2020, followed by complex and multidirectional dynamics in 2021. Clustering reveals different trends in tourist flows in different countries and regions, providing a basis for future research. The heterogeneity of the dynamics of tourist flows is linked to the individual adaptation of the tourism sector in different countries to the new nature of transport links and the landscape of healthcare and services. In particular, the emergence of vaccine tourism is representing a separate and unique niche reflecting both the changing priorities of medical tourists and a new geopolitical trend. The study compares the countries’ rankings in the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) and the COVID-19 mortality rate, and concludes that the MTI ranking may be a marketing tool, but does not reflect the robustness of the healthcare system in the event of global crisis events. The study examines the psychological and socio-economic impacts of the pandemic on tourism, highlighting the growing importance of mental health in ensuring holistic well-being. The impact of digital technologies on tourism is revealed. The use of the “phygital” approach concept is proposed for hybrid medical tourism.