The Role of Destination Image in Malaysia's Medical Tourism Industry

Medical tourism has been gaining impetus and momentum in recent years. The accelerated growth in this sector especially in Asian countries observed that Malaysia has actively seized the opportunity of the burgeoning medical tourism industry. As an emerging destination for medical tourism in Asia, Malaysia has successfully developed a competitive advantage in this niche industry. In line with the growing concerns to deliver effective value to customers, the observation on the concept of destination image to secure a competitive position in the market of medical tourism and services is still lacking. This article aims to provide an overview of the current literature on the dimension of cognitive image in the medical tourism context. It is postulated that the cognitive attributes leading to better image of Malaysia as a medical tourism destination has a significant impact in shaping overall medical tourists' experience.