Page 172 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Analyzing MHTW tourism for sustainable development

21 -century concern; therefore, the tourism industry is tools to tailor treatments to individual health profiles. This
st
currently attempting to integrate wellness programs and emergent phenomenon extends into wellness tourism
medical services into its offerings and align with more through customized health and wellness programs
wide-ranging sustainable development goals (Buhalis (Dillette et al., 2021). In addition, a revival and integration
et al., 2023). This integration seeks to enhance the visitor of traditional and cultural healing practices such as
experience through therapeutic and wellness-oriented Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine are becoming
services. It simultaneously contributes to local economies increasingly evident. Such renewals enrich the wellness
by diversifying tourism products and creating health- experience, facilitate cultural exchanges, and preserve
centered employment opportunities. Such initiatives legacy knowledge (Sujatha, 2020).
underscore the potential of the tourism sector to foster The industry has become increasingly attentive to mental
environmental sustainability and concurrently address the health, recognizing its essential role in overall well-being
well-being of both local populations and tourists (Higgins- and incorporating programs attending to stress reduction,
Desbiolles et al., 2022). mindfulness, and therapeutic interventions (Johnson et al.,
Medical, health, therapy, and wellness (MHTW) 2020). The trend of providing diagnostic assessments in
and tourism have become increasingly convergent wellness travel is also notable; travelers can attain profound
and intertwined (Milano & Koens, 2022). Numerous insights into their health, which enriches their travel
destinations have begun to embody these forms of tourism experiences and promotes proactive health management
and exemplify this trend, for instance, wellness resorts, (de Silva et al., 2024). These trends collectively illustrate
therapeutic landscapes, and medical tourism hubs. The a move toward a more holistic, culturally enhanced, and
relations between tourism and human health have gradually technologically integrated approach to health and wellness
garnered the tourism industry’s attention, resulting in tourism and signal shifts toward more sophisticated and
the development of destinations that foster physical conscientious health tourism paradigms (de Silva et al.,
and psychosocial well-being (Xiang & Qiao, 2023). The 2024).
creation of health-oriented tourism destinations has now Tourism for sustainable development is no longer an
become imperative, reflecting a shift toward sustainable unfamiliar topic. However, the literature on integrating
and responsible tourism practices. These destinations varied tourism concepts to discuss the outcomes of
align with global sustainability standards by offering sustainable development remains surprisingly scarce
therapeutic experiences and advocating for environmental (Becken et al., 2020; Marinello et al., 2023). Bibliometric
conservation and cultural respect (Kim & Yang, 2021). analyses represent a powerful tool for synthesizing the
Thus, the tourism industry is poised to function crucially expansive and multidisciplinary domains of MHTW and
in promoting global health and wellness, driving economic integrating them into sustainable tourism development
growth, and enhancing the quality of life for communities (Khanuja et al., 2024). Therefore, this study uses
and visitors alike (Dwyer, 2023). bibliometric techniques to construct a comprehensive
knowledge map of this topic, detailing collaborations
However, the amalgamation of MHTW has also among authors, institutions, and countries. It also analyzes
become a trending topic in tourism research. A plethora keywords and identifies research trends. Subsequently, it
of visual analytic studies have recently focused on these presents a literature review on MHTW and discusses how
domains (Narechania et al., 2022). For instance, studies these domains relate to sustainable development. Section
using geographic information systems have mapped 3 introduces the applied bibliometric methods and steps
wellness tourism flows and network analysis to explore the undertaken for the data collection and analysis performed.
connections between medical tourism providers and global Section 4 displays the knowledge maps and outlines the
health networks (Xu et al., 2020). Researchers are focusing study findings. Finally, we discuss the research results in
significantly on sustainable and eco-friendly practices, Section 5 and conclude the study in Section 6.
integrating green technologies, promoting environment-
conserving activities, and aligning health tourism with 2. Literature review
broader sustainability goals (Souza et al., 2020). Moreover,
the incorporation of advanced technologies such as 2.1. Medical tourism and sustainable development
wearable devices, mobile applications, and virtual reality Medical tourism is defined as the practice of traveling
is becoming increasingly prevalent to make wellness across international borders to avail health-care services
programs more personalized and efficacious (Baragash et ranging from elective procedures to complex specialized
al., 2022). Personalized medicine has gained traction in surgeries (Medhekar et al., 2020; Nilashi et al., 2019).
medical tourism, leveraging genetic testing and diagnostic Integrating sustainability into medical tourism involves

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 164 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4149