https://doi.org/10.4081/hls.2025.13475
Barriers to the development of medical tourism: a scoping review from a global perspective and lessons learned for Indonesia
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Published: 3 March 2025
Medical tourism enhances access to specialized care, boosts economic growth, and fosters international collaboration. This is crucial for Indonesia to improve healthcare services, attract international patients, and strengthen its economy. This study aimed to identify and analyze barriers hindering medical tourism development globally and provide recommendations for Indonesia. A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. The literature search occurred in September 2024 using PubMed and Scopus. Articles in English published between 2015 and 2024 were included. The review identified several obstacles to medical tourism. Internal factors include workforce issues, organizational systems, technological limitations, inadequate facilities, and insufficient marketing. External challenges are competitive pressures, lack of supporting infrastructure, regulatory constraints, and economic circumstances. To address these, Indonesian providers should enhance staff capabilities, implement comprehensive management strategies, embrace digital technologies, improve ancillary infrastructure, and boost promotional activities. Transparent and standardized pricing for medical services is also essential. The government should integrate medical tourism policies to ensure consistency, maintain the economic situation, strengthen hospital competitiveness, and develop supporting infrastructure. These recommendations should form the basis for a detailed strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesia’s medical tourism hospitals against international competitors.
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