MEDICAL TOURISM AND FACTORS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

Abstract

The article provides a critical analysis of approaches to the definition of medical tourism, as a result of which it is concluded that it is expedient to distinguish between medical, health-improving and health-improving tourism. An analysis of the dynamics of the global market of medical services is carried out, taking into account the forecasts of its development until 2029, on the basis of which an assessment of the attractiveness of this market is given due to its rapid growth and the lag of the Republic of Belarus from global trends. In order to search for drivers of growth in the share of Belarus in serving the global demand for medical services, the article examines the experience of countries that have shown the largest growth in the export of medical services in recent years. The factors that contributed to increasing the attractiveness of these countries as medical tourism destinations are identified, such as the high level of quality of medical services in certain areas; competitive prices; the possibility of combining treatment with rest and entertainment. It was determined that one of the most important drivers is the active promotion of national clinics in foreign markets, including with the participation of state authorities. This, in turn, predetermined the need to analyze the promotion of Belarusian medicine services on the Internet, which showed its insufficiency, as well as such features as the use of domestic intermediaries in the promotion of medical tourism and a limited offer of services related to leisure. On the basis of the research, recommendations are given for the development of medical tourism in the Republic of Belarus, primarily through the formation of a unified marketing strategy for the promotion of medical tourism with direct state participation.