Government initiatives for developing medical tourism : India, Singapore, and Australia

Medical tourism is a decision to travel to another country for seeking affordable medical care of international quality with no waiting period. India, Singapore and Australia are popular tourism destinations in Asia and the world. India and Singapore are also popular markets for medical tourism; however Australian market is very small. In 2008, globally Singapore was ranked in second position after Thailand in medical tourism. However, in 2009, India was placed second [50] and Singapore in third position in terms of number of medical tourists, revenue and low cost of surgery. The key aim of this paper is to critically examine the government initiatives to support the development and growth of medical tourism in India, Singapore and Australia. The introductory section of the paper provides a background to the medical tourism industry. Section two puts forward a brief literature review about the existing models on medical tourism. Paper also develops and identifies different types of wellness and medical tourist. Section three highlights and critically examines the government policy initiatives to support the sustainable development and growth of medical tourism industry in India, Singapore and Australia. Section five provides managerial and policy implications for India, Singapore, and Australia. Conclusion section includes recommendation along with providing future research direction.