Research Article

Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework

Volume: 8 Number: 2 December 15, 2023
ZH EN

Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework

Abstract

This study investigates the competitiveness of Alanya, a medical tourism destination in Türkiye, and determines appropriate strategies using the analytical hierarchy process and quality function deployment. Data were collected from medical tourism experts to gain managerial insights into the factors affecting the competitiveness of medical tourism. The findings show that medical tourists primarily focus on medical factors such as competence of doctor and quality of treatment. The main strategies to strengthen competitiveness are to create a healthcare-free zone, to increase the number of accredited health care providers, and to encourage the involvement of doctors in academic research and ongoing training. For researchers interested in assessing competitiveness in medical tourism destinations, the study presents general determinants that should be considered in each destination. In addition, the findings show that each medical tourism destination should focus on its own determinants of medical tourism competitiveness when developing its marketing strategies. Finally, it shows that the analytical hierarchy process and quality function deployment approaches can be successfully applied in achieving destination competitiveness and strategic planning, with content validity and importance performance analysis.


Keywords

Destination competitiveness, Medical tourism (MT), Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Quality function deployment (QFD), House of quality (HOQ), Alanya

Thanks

This research paper was produced from the PhD thesis (Id: 687300) at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Tourism Management, prepared by Vildan YILMAZ in July, 2021.

References

  1. Albayrak, T., & Caber, M. (2011). Önem-performans analizi: Destinasyon yönetimine dair bir örnek. Ege Akademik Bakış, 11(4), 625-636.
  2. Al-Talabani, H., Kilic, H., Ozturen, A., & Qasim, S. (2019). Advancing MT in the United Arab Emirates: toward a sustainable health care system. Sustainability, 11(1), 1-15.
  3. Arueyingho, O., Ghasemi, M., & Bodamyalı, T. (2022). Medical Tourism in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Strategies for Improvement. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, 7 (1), 1-18. DOI: 10.31822/jomat.2022-7-1-1
  4. Awang, Z., Afthanorhan, A., Mohamad, M., & Asri, M. A. M. (2015). An evaluation of measurement model for medical tourism research: the confirmatory factor analysis approach. International Journal of Tourism Policy, 6(1), 29-45.
  5. Aydın, G., & Karamehmet, B. (2017). Factors affecting health tourism and international health-care facility choice. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 11(1), 16–36.
  6. Ayre, C., & Scally, A. J. (2014). Critical values for Lawshe’s content validity ratio: revisiting the original methods of calculation. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(1), 79-86.
  7. Bookman, M. Z., & Bookman, K. R. (2007). MT in developing countries. New York: Palgrave McMillan.
  8. Carlsson, C., & Fullér, R. (1996). Fuzzy multiple criteria decision making: Recent developments. Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 78(2), 139-153.
  9. Carrera, P. M., & Bridges, J. F. (2006). Globalization and healthcare: understanding health and MT. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, 6(4), 447-454.
  10. Chan, L. K., & Wu, M. L. (2005). A systematic approach to quality function deployment with a full illustrative example. Omega, 33(2), 119-139.
APA
Yilmaz, V., & Güneren, E. (2023). Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, 8(2), 141-157. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141
AMA
1.Yilmaz V, Güneren E. Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Jomat. 2023;8(2):141-157. doi:10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141
Chicago
Yilmaz, Vildan, and Ebru Güneren. 2023. “Determining Destination Competitiveness in Medical Tourism: A Study Based on AHP-QFD Framework”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 8 (2): 141-57. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141.
EndNote
Yilmaz V, Güneren E (December 1, 2023) Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 8 2 141–157.
IEEE
[1]V. Yilmaz and E. Güneren, “Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework”, Jomat, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 141–157, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141.
ISNAD
Yilmaz, Vildan - Güneren, Ebru. “Determining Destination Competitiveness in Medical Tourism: A Study Based on AHP-QFD Framework”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 8/2 (December 1, 2023): 141-157. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141.
JAMA
1.Yilmaz V, Güneren E. Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Jomat. 2023;8:141–157.
MLA
Yilmaz, Vildan, and Ebru Güneren. “Determining Destination Competitiveness in Medical Tourism: A Study Based on AHP-QFD Framework”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, vol. 8, no. 2, Dec. 2023, pp. 141-57, doi:10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141.
Vancouver
1.Vildan Yilmaz, Ebru Güneren. Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Jomat. 2023 Dec. 1;8(2):141-57. doi:10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141