Contemporary Issues and Trends in Consumer Behavior and Digital Innovation within Wellness Services and Medical Tourism
Medical tourism and wellness services are undergoing significant transformation, driven by consumer demand for innovative and integrated service experiences that enhance value co-creation, well-being and happiness (Mele et al., 2022; Taheri et al., 2021; Ungaro et al., 2024). As technological advancements and the globalization of healthcare expand access to diverse options, consumers (including older and senior consumers) increasingly prioritize services that seamlessly combine medical treatments with wellness offerings, addressing both physical and mental well-being in a holistic manner (Badham et al., 2024; Okumus and Linton-Kelly, 2022; Osei-Frimpong, 2017). This evolution reflects shifting consumer behavior trends, emphasizing personalized, multi-faceted approaches to health, aging, and lifestyle management, where innovation in service design plays a critical role in meeting these complex and interconnected needs (Global Wellness Institute, 2021; Dass et al., 2022; Suess et al., 2019; Mele et al., 2022).
Methodologically, research could provide deeper insights into the dynamic nature of consumer preferences, informing businesses on how to adapt their information management strategies effectively (Taheri et al., 2021). While quantitative methods can reveal consumer responses to digital advancements and significant global trends, qualitative approaches are pivotal for uncovering the motivations, emotions, and decision-making processes that shape consumer journeys in wellness services and medical tourism. The rapid pace of digital innovation necessitates the development of adaptable methodologies that align with changing technologies and consumer expectations, ensuring the field remains relevant and forward-looking. Authors are encouraged to explore and propose novel or alternative theoretical frameworks to better understand the interplay between service innovations and consumer behavior in wellness services and medical tourism. This includes examining how digital technologies, demographic shifts, and cross-border healthcare access influence consumer trust, satisfaction, and decision-making.
List of Topic Areas
Potential topics included, but are not limited to:
- Consumer engagement with health, wellness, and medical travel facilitators
- Servicescapes and shared social spaces
- Health, wellness, and medical tourism destinations and services
- Medical hotels, wellness hotels, and extended Stay facilities and services
- Healthy aging, senior consumers and quality of life of the elderly
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Occupational health and wellness
- Social media, celebrities, influencers, and aesthetics: the cosmetic surgery movement
- Nutrition and healthy eating
- Health insurance mobility
- Traditional treatments vs Modern medicine
- Legal issues in medical tourism
- Virtual consultations
- Digital technologies and artificial intelligence in wellness services and fitness tracking
- International patient services
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key Deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 1st February 2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 30th November 2025
For more details refer here
