Government policy initiatives for developing sustainable medical tourism industry

Medical tourism is a conscious decision to travel abroad for seeking affordable quality of medical treatment and surgery, with no waiting period. India and Singapore are not only popular destinations for tourism but also for medical tourism in Asia and the world. Australia is also an emerging destination for niche areas of specialised medical treatments. Key aim of this paper is to critically examine the government policy initiatives in India, Singapore and Australia, to support the sustainable development and growth of medical tourism as an export of healthcare medical services to the world. The introductory section of the paper provides a background to the medical tourism industry. Section two puts forward a brief literature review on medical tourism and identifies and develops a list of nine (9) different types/categories 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 the three countries. Section four provides discussion and policy implications and lessons for India and Australia. Conclusion section includes recommendation and future research directions.