Contemporary Issues and Trends in Consumer Behavior and Digital Innovation within Wellness Services and Medical Tourism

Closes:
Journal
Journal of Service Theory and Practice
Guest editor(s)
Courtney Suess, Babak Taheri, Bendegul Okumus,

Submit your paper here!

Introduction

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). The convergence of medical tourism and wellness offers fertile ground for service innovation and advancing understanding of consumer behavior (Suess et al., 2020). Medical tourism, characterized by cross-border healthcare services such as surgeries, treatments, and diagnostics, is often driven by consumer needs for affordability, quality, and accessibility (Hall, 2012). In contrast, wellness services typically focus on preventive health and mental well-being through offerings such as holistic therapies, fitness programs, and stress management activities (Badham et al., 2024; Okumus and Linton-Kelly, 2022). As these traditionally distinct sectors merge, they create opportunities for innovative service design and delivery, fostering enhanced consumer engagement and loyalty (Kim, 2029; Swenson and Bansal, 2024). This convergence underscores the importance of understanding evolving consumer preferences and behaviors (including older or senior consumers) to inform the development of seamless, integrated service experiences in health and wellness contexts. 
Moreover, digital innovation is at the forefront of transforming wellness services and medical tourism, reshaping service delivery and consumer behavior. Technologies such as telemedicine, virtual consultations, AI-driven personalized health recommendations, and mobile health applications are redefining how consumers interact with and perceive these services (Mele et al., 2022; Stoumpos et al., 2023). These advancements enhance consumer experiences by offering convenience, accessibility, and customization, catering to individual preferences and raising satisfaction, well-being and loyalty. The integration of data analytics and personalized marketing strategies further amplifies this transformation, enabling service providers to tailor offerings to consumer needs while promoting informed decision-making and remote care access. These innovations empower consumers to take a proactive role in achieving their health and wellness goals, aligning services with the evolving expectations of modern consumers (Okorie et al., 2024). However, the widespread adoption of these technologies raises critical concerns about trust, data security, and risk perceptions in digital environments. Addressing these challenges is crucial, as trust and perceived risk significantly influence consumer acceptance and sustained engagement with these innovations (Mennella et al., 2024). Exploring these behavioral dimensions is vital to understanding how service innovation can sustainably drive consumer engagement and loyalty in health and wellness services. 
Despite significant advancements in digital innovation and its transformative role in service innovation, particularly in the context of medical tourism and wellness services, critical theoretical and methodological gaps persist (Dwivedi et al., 2021). Existing frameworks often treat consumer behavior and digital innovation as distinct, overlooking their dynamic interplay in shaping service experiences. Integrating interdisciplinary approaches from psychology, sociology, and technology studies is essential to better understand consumer decision-making in this rapidly evolving domain (Mariani et al., 2022; Wong et al., 2024). In medical tourism and wellness services, where health, safety, and personalized service are paramount (Zhong et al., 2021), trust in digital platforms is a pivotal determinant of consumer behavior (Adjekum et al., 2018). Nonetheless, the processes by which trust is established, particularly amidst privacy concerns and the need for reliable digital health information, remain underexplored. Addressing these challenges requires theoretical advancements that not only capture the complexities of consumer behavior in digitalized service contexts but also provide actionable insights into nurturing trust and enhancing consumer engagement in innovative service ecosystems. 
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. Topics of particular interest include the role of virtual consultations, digital tools for enhancing service delivery, and strategies for building consumer well-being in wellness services and medical tourism. We welcome research employing diverse methodologies, including qualitative approaches (e.g., ethnography, narrative inquiry, case studies), quantitative methods (e.g., experimental and longitudinal designs), and mixed-method approaches. Studies that bridge service innovation with consumer behavior to address industry challenges and opportunities are particularly encouraged. 

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 
  • Application of AI-based and/or cyborg wellness services, fitness, and medical tourism  
  • Telemedicine, mobile health applications, and online booking platforms 
  • The impact of increasing competition in the health, wellness services, and medical tourism market on destinations  
  • Consumer trust and risk perception in digital environments  
  • Digital innovation, emerging technologies, and their implications for consumer behavior 
  • Specific demographics, underrepresented groups, and longitudinal studies  

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 

References

  • Adjekum, A., Blasimme, A. and Vayena, E. (2018), "Elements of trust in digital health systems: scoping review", Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol. 20 No. 12, e11254. DOI: 10.2196/11254 
  • Badham, S.P., Taheri, B., Magistro, D., Grant, N., May, N. and Goddard, A. (2024), "Health and fitness marketing appeals to older consumers", The Service Industries Journal, pp. 1-26. DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2024.2355255 
  • Das, D., Sarkar, A. and Debroy, A. (2022), "Impact of COVID‐19 on changing consumer behaviour: lessons from an emerging economy", International Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 692-715. DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.12713 
  • Dwivedi, Y.K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D.L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., ... and Wang, Y. (2021), "Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: perspectives and research propositions", International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 59, 102168. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168 
  • Global Wellness Institute (2021), The Global Wellness Economy: Looking Beyond COVID, available at: https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GWI-WE-M… (accessed 8 December 2024). 
  • Gustavo, N.S. (2010), "A 21st-century approach to health tourism spas: The case of Portugal", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 127-135. DOI: 10.1375/jhtm.17.1.127 
  • Hall, C.M. (Ed.) (2012), Medical Tourism, Routledge, Abingdon. DOI: 10.4324/9780203076778 
  • Kim, J. (2019), "Customers’ value co-creation with healthcare service network partners: the moderating effect of consumer vulnerability", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 309-328. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-09-2018-0200 
  • Mariani, M.M., Perez‐Vega, R. and Wirtz, J. (2022), "AI in marketing, consumer research and psychology: a systematic literature review and research agenda", Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 755-776. DOI: 10.1002/mar.21619 
  • Mele, C., Marzullo, M., Di Bernardo, I., Russo-Spena, T., Massi, R., La Salandra, A. and Cialabrini, S. (2022), "A smart tech lever to augment caregivers’ touch and foster vulnerable patient engagement and well-being", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 52-74. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-05-2020-0108 
  • Mennella, C., Maniscalco, U., De Pietro, G. and Esposito, M. (2024), "Ethical and regulatory challenges of AI technologies in healthcare: a narrative review", Heliyon, Vol. 10 No. 4, e026297. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e026297 
  • Okorie, G.N., Egieya, Z.E., Ikwue, U., Udeh, C.A., Adaga, E.M., DaraOjimba, O.D. and Oriekhoe, O.I. (2024), "Leveraging big data for personalized marketing campaigns: a review", International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 216-242. DOI: 10.51594/ijmer.v6i1.293 
  • Okumus, B. and Linton-Kelly, H. (2022), Wellness Management in Hospitality and Tourism, Goodfellow Publishers Ltd. DOI: 10.23912/9781911635730-4850 
  • Osei-Frimpong, K. (2017), "Patient participatory behaviours in healthcare service delivery: self-determination theory (SDT) perspective", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 453-474. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-09-2015-0195 
  • Osei-Frimpong, K. (2017), "Patient participatory behaviours in healthcare service delivery: Self-determination theory (SDT) perspective", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 453-474. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-02-2016-0038 
  • Stoumpos, A.I., Kitsios, F. and Talias, M.A. (2023), "Digital transformation in healthcare: technology acceptance and its applications", International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 20 No. 4, 3407. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043407 
  • Suess, C., Woosnam, K.M. and Erul, E. (2020), "Stranger-danger? Understanding the moderating effects of children in the household on non-hosting residents' emotional solidarity with Airbnb visitors, feeling safe, and support for Airbnb", Tourism Management, Vol. 77, 103952. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2019.103952 
  • Taheri, B., Chalmers, D., Wilson, J. and Arshed, N. (2021), "Would you really recommend it? Antecedents of word-of-mouth in medical tourism", Tourism Management, Vol. 83, 104209. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104209 
  • Ungaro, V., Di Pietro, L., Guglielmetti Mugion, R. and Renzi, M.F. (2024), "A systematic literature review on transformative practices and well-being outcomes in healthcare service", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 432-463. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-05-2023-0123 
  • Wong, A.K.F., Vongvisitsin, T.B., Li, P., Pan, Y. and Ryan, C. (2024), "Revisiting medical tourism research: Critical reviews and implications for destination management and marketing", Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, Vol. 33, 100924. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100924 
  • Zhong, L., Deng, B., Morrison, A.M., Coca-Stefaniak, J.A. and Yang, L. (2021), "Medical, health and wellness tourism research—A review of the literature (1970–2020) and research agenda", International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18 No. 20, 10875. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010875