THE STRATEGY OF THAI MEDICAL SERVICES PROMOTION AT FOREIGN MARKETS AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL TOURISM

Abstract

Aims. The main aim of the research is to develop a preliminary offer of special medical tours to Thailand for the citizens of Russian Federation; to evaluate the limits of demand for Thai national medical tour-product in Russia, the potential key features of promotion and sales of Thai medical tours in Russia under the current economic conditions. Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that more than 50 countries of the world see the provision of medical services to international patients as the top-priority area of their national development. Leading approach to the study of this problem is the comparative method that has afforded revealing peculiarities of promoting Thai medical tours and potential sales to foreign patients. Results. The paper identifies the role of medical services in the process of Thai national tourist product differentiation and describes some of the special medical tours in Thailand specifically designed for overseas markets. The authors also evaluate the limit of demand for the national medical tour product of Thailand. Inerpretation. The authors emphasized the importance of promoting an excellent and high-tech service in promoting the Thai wellness product. The article also suggests checking the economic and marketing effectiveness of the business model of a sanatorium in Thailand. This model will be somewhat more expensive than a traditional hotel, but, unlike a hotel, it will have a number of strong competitive advantages in terms of Russian sales and will be able to actively earn additional services. The materials of the paper imply the practical significance for the university teachers of the economic specializations.

Keywords

• medical tourism
• healthcare
• medical services
• insurance
• overseas markets