MEDICAL TOURISM : Demand for Cuban Medical Tourism by Russian Consumers

Abstract

Medical tourism, often addressed as health tourism, is a new concept in terms of tourism industry in general, and it is also one of the rapidly developing and growing ones. This thesis gives information on the medical tourism in general and its history. It also revises the development stages of the medical tourism in the world. Cuban medical tourism is analyzed on its own, as well as Russian medical tourism and the demand for it. Medical tourism is rather popular among Russians due to various reasons. The connection between Cuban medical institutions and Russian tour operators is revised in detail to understand the possibilities, reasons and need for medical tourism by Russian consumers in Cuba.

The chosen research method was quantitative research through questionnaires sent to companies involved in medical tourism both in Cuba and Russia, as well as content analysis and case studies.

This report could be used to furthermore develop medical tourism, not only between Cuba and Russia, but in general. The results may be used for the development of cooperation between Cuban and Russian organizations, as it contains information on the possible structure of the institutions and the way cooperation could be organized by both countries.