Using Authenticity to Achieve Competitive Advantage in Medical Tourism in the English-speaking Caribbean

Abstract

Medical tourism is a relatively recent global economic and political phenomenon which has assumed increasing importance for developing countries, particularly in Asia. It has been slower to develop within the context of the tourism industry in English-speaking Caribbean countries but there is evidence that the tourism policy makers in the region perceive medical tourism as a potentially lucrative niche market. However, while the potential of medical tourism has seemingly been embraced by the region's political directorate, there has been limited discussion of the extent to which this market niche can realistically provide competitive advantage for the region. The argument of this conceptual paper is that the English-speaking Caribbean cannot hope to compete successfully in the global medical tourism market with many developing world destinations in Asia, or even with other Caribbean countries such as Cuba, on factors such as low cost, staff expertise, medical technological capability, investment in healthcare facilities or even in terms of the natural resources of sun, sea and sand. Rather, in order to achieve competitive advantage the countries of the region should, on the one hand, identify and develop their unique resources and competences as they relate to medical tourism, while, on the other hand, they should exploit the demand of the postmodern tourist for authentic experiences. Both these supply and demand side issues, it is argued, can be addressed through the development of a medical tourism product that utilises the region's indigenous herbal remedies.

Notes

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2 Ibid.

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7 While the focus of this paper is on medical tourism in developing countries, it is recognised that medical tourism is also a significant phenomenon in Eastern European countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic.

8 Atlas, Medical Tourism: A Global Analysis, London: Tourism Research and Marketing, February 2006.

9 Ibid.

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46 Abraham Maslow developed a theory of human motivation in 1943 which has since been used as the foundation of studies in this area in a number of disciplines. According to Maslow, human beings have a hierarchy of needs moving from lower-order to higher-order needs in a sort of pyramid. Lower-order needs, which occupy the wide base of the pyramid, include basic requirements for food, shelter, clothing and sex. The highest order need at the narrow apex of the pyramid is that for self-actualisation but this can only be achieved once the lower-order needs have been satisfied.

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59 The mauby tree (scientifically from the Rhamuaceae family) grows in abundance in many Caribbean islands. In the English-speaking Caribbean mauby is the name given to the bitter liquid extracted from the bark of the tree and this is usually diluted with water and sweetened with sugar to provide a popular drink. Alleyne et al, ‘The control of hypertension by use of coconut water and mauby’.

60 Ibid, p 8.

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65 Elvin-Lewis, ‘Should we be concerned about herbal remedies?’.

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67 For more on this, see Connell, ‘Medical tourism’.