I have been actively involved in Health Tourism for as long as I can remember. The older I got, the more involved I became with the industry. Health Tourism is easy enough to understand, at least prima facie. It has something to do with health and tourism, and most people accurately understand it not to be about the health of tourism, as we would correctly refer to it as “Tourism Health” rather than “Health Tourism”.

But when looking closer, many still struggle with the definitions of Health Tourism and Medical Tourism, which undoubtedly also causes confusion on where Wellness Tourism fits into the mix. Since I have an academic background in business law, I love definitions. They make life much easier. Definitions, with measured use of interpretation and combined with syllogisms and deductive reasoning, allow us to draw conclusions, structuring and thus simplifying the world around us. They also lay the groundstone of any productive debate: Agreeing what and using which terms you are arguing about.

In the context of global healthcare travel, the need for clear definitions becomes even more pronounced. Patients, providers, facilitators, and policymakers each bring different expectations and frameworks to the table. A traveller seeking cardiovascular surgery abroad is operating in a different dimension than someone booking a detox program at a Balinese retreat, yet both are technically engaging in cross-border health tourism.

This definitional ambiguity is not just an academic challenge. It has real-world implications for how health insurance companies, travel agents, ministries of health, and international accreditation bodies approach regulation, marketing, and risk assessment.

But what makes a definition a definition? Usually it is set, either by law or an organisation that, be it through authority or public recognition, is seen as authoritative.

The world of Health- and Medical Tourism doesn’t lack definitions or attempts at definitions, but lacks authoritative sources that stakeholders are willing to trust and recognise. However, this piece is neither the right place nor am I inclined to decry this circumstance. I might, however, some time in the future, attempt myself at an explanation for it. What this article shall do, though, is provide my initial considerations and my own attempt at structuring the Health Tourism continuum.

That is indeed how I see Health Tourism. Rather than being black and white, it is a spectrum on which both Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism are represented. The increase in international patient travel and the emergence of hybrid services — where elements of medical care and wellness are offered under one roof — further reinforce this spectrum model.

This also reflects broader trends in consumer health behaviour: more individuals now combine their search for medical solutions with interest in holistic healing, preventive interventions, or simply stress reduction. Many medical tourists book massages, mindfulness training, or yoga alongside their surgeries.

To visualise this spectrum, I have developed the following graphic:

The graphic illustrates Health Tourism as a continuum along two axes. The top axis represents the degree of HCP involvement, ranging from high (medical interventions) to low or non-existent (self-guided wellness activities). The bottom axis maps the purpose of travel: from remedying a negative health state to improving a neutral or good one. In between lie hybrid forms — such as longevity medicine or thalassotherapy — that blur the line between medical and wellness objectives.

Health Tourism includes both experiences in which healthcare professionals (HCPs) have high and low involvement, as well as experiences in which the remediation of a negative state of health and the improvement of a neutral or good state of health are the target. Another good indicator for medical tourism, as opposed to wellness tourism, is the setting in which the procedure is provided. If it’s a hospital or a clinic, it tends to be medical tourism. If the setting is more akin to a resort or hotel, we are likely looking at wellness tourism.

An additional differentiator is intent. People seeking healthcare abroad may do so for financial reasons, shorter waiting times, or access to procedures that are unavailable at home. By contrast, wellness travellers tend to be driven by lifestyle aspirations, personal growth, or the desire to escape daily stressors. Both are reacting to structural deficits in their domestic health systems, but in different ways.

This distinction is especially relevant in regions where health resorts, rehabilitation centres, and private clinics coexist. Think of Central Europe, where cross-border healthcare services often blend spa traditions with regulated clinical oversight. The rise of such integrated care models invites even more blurred lines between what is “medical” and what is “wellness”.

Emerging destinations like Hungary, Turkey, South Korea, and Thailand have become notable hubs for this very reason. They not only offer affordable surgeries but also wrap them in leisure packages designed to enhance recovery and satisfaction. This bundling of care and comfort is a central driver of growth in global medical tourism.

These spheres of differentiation are by no means final, but they allow us to organise procedures according to their traits or characteristics.

Without aiming to generalise or oversimplify, here are some good points to start in differentiating between medical tourism and wellness tourism.

Medical Tourism:

• High HCP involvement

• Remedying a negative state of health

• Tends to involve invasive procedures

• Addresses acute or chronic conditions

• Diagnostics and treatment plans

• The procedure might come with complications and side effects

• May involve long pre- and post-operative planning

• Typically occurs in hospitals or accredited clinics

• Popular procedures: cardiac surgeries, orthopedic interventions, cancer treatments

• Often regulated or subject to international patient safety standards (JCI, ISO)

• Can include reproductive medicine, dental implants, organ transplants, and bariatric surgery

  
  

Wellness Tourism:

• Low HCP involvement

• Improving a neutral state of health

• Non-invasive treatments and procedures

• Preventative care; addresses overall health

• Lifestyle changes, mindfulness, balance

• Less risky procedures and applications

• Often includes traditional or holistic methods (Ayurveda, TCM, thalassotherapy)

• Takes place in wellness retreats, thermal spas, resorts

• Popular offerings: stress reduction, detox, anti-aging programs

• May include plant-based nutrition programs, sound therapy, forest bathing, or even spiritual coaching

• Increasingly integrated with digital wellness tracking and biohacking tools

  
  

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there is no clear border between medical tourism and cosmetic tourism. However, these indicators can come in handy when looking at the individual case, trying to form an opinion on the matter.

Cosmetic tourism, in particular, represents a fast-growing and highly visible segment. Procedures such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and hair transplants often combine elements of both categories: they are medically performed, but their motivation is aesthetic. The rise of 'Instagram clinics' and influencer marketing has only accelerated the globalisation of cosmetic healthcare services.

Similarly, elective medical procedures such as bariatric surgery or fertility treatments may blur conventional categorisations, particularly when bundled with recuperation stays in wellness-focused environments. This complexity is part of what makes the study of healthcare travel and health-seeking behaviour so rich.