Strategies for Medical Tourism Development in Khuzestan Province, Southwest of Iran

Introduction: Due to Khuzestan province proximity to the Arab countries and having shared culture and language with most of them and having foreign and domestic tourists, it is a major medical tourism province that requires paying more attention and investment in the tourism industry and strengthening its health sector infrastructure to gain more profit in this high-income market The present study aimed to identify the strategies for medical tourism development in Khuzestan province. Method: This qualitative study was conducted in 2019. The research population included all experts of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences who were selected for the interview. Data were collected through questions about medical tourism development strategies. The interviews continued until the saturation stage. Finally, the data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results were categorized and analyzed manually without using the software. Results: The tourism development strategies of Khuzestan province included 5 main themes (administrative-executive, economic, reforming and revising rules and regulations, marketing and informing) and 48 sub-themes. The most important "administrative executive" strategies included ranking service centers and obliging them to receive a license from international organizations such as Ja The most important "economic" strategies were reducing the customs tariffs of medical equipment for the centers and hospitals active in providing service for foreign patients and encouraging and attracting direct foreign investment in the treatment sector. The most important strategy for "reforming and revising the rules and regulations" was facilitating the visa issuance for medical tourism. The most important "marketing" strategies were identifying target markets in the region with shared culture, religion, language, and signing contracts with other hospitals for patients' referring to these hospitals after treatment The most important strategies of "informing, advertising and promoting of internal services" were directing the need for health services towards internal resources and establishing a medical tourism informing portal in Khuzestan province. Conclusion: It is recommended for policymakers and decision-makers of the Khuzestan province medical tourism industry to take steps to promote and develop medical tourism in the Khuzestan province based on the identified priorities.