Medical tourism in Asia with a strategic focus on Iran: Challenges, policy gaps, and development pathways

Behnam Rezaei Yousefi; Mohammad  Hassan Gholizadeh; Mostafa  Ebrahimpour Azbari; Mohammadreza  Mobayen

doi:10.61882/ijbwr.2.1.60

Authors

Behnam Rezaei yousefi Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8418-9127
Mohammad Hassan Gholizadeh Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2616-2916
Mostafa Ebrahimpour Azbari Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0410-6374
Mohammadreza Mobayen Burn and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Velayat Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9317-4955

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61882/ijbwr.2.1.60

Keywords:

Tourism policy-making, Medical tourism, Healthcare regulation, Policy mix, JCI accreditation, Digital governance, Medical service tariffs

Abstract

Policy-making in the medical tourism sector has become essential for ensuring the growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness of this rapidly expanding industry. As medical tourism continues to expand worldwide, the formulation of clear and strategic policies plays a critical role in improving service quality, operational efficiency, and the attraction of international patients. Inadequate policy frameworks may result in inconsistent healthcare standards, infrastructural weaknesses, and unregulated pricing mechanisms, thereby limiting sectoral potential. Effective policies now demand a transition from passive regulation to active strategic governance, ensuring international trust and sustainable healthcare equity. This study adopts a strategic analytical approach using the Policy Mix framework to examine medical tourism in Asia, with a particular focus on Iran. The findings identify key regional challenges, including lack of service standardization, language barriers, legal inconsistencies, logistical complications, and insufficient insurance coverage. In Iran, additional barriers include a critical trust deficit stemming from the absence of Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, economic constraints, administrative inefficiencies, socio-cultural limitations, infrastructural gaps, regulatory weaknesses, and deficiencies in digital information management systems. The study underscores the importance of mandatory international accreditation, infrastructural investment, transparent value-based pricing, transparent ethical guidelines, comprehensive legal frameworks, and coordinated policy strategies to strengthen competitiveness. Establishing an integrated and digitally driven policy framework is essential to enhance Iran’s position in the regional and global medical tourism market.

Author Biographies

Behnam Rezaei yousefi, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Dr.Behnam Rezaei Yousefi is a Lecturer in the Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan.
Mohammad Hassan Gholizadeh, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Mohammad Hassan Gholizadeh is an Associate Professor of Financial Management at the Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Mostafa Ebrahimpour Azbari, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Mostafa Ebrahimpour Azbari is a Professor in the Department of Management at Guilan university, Rasht, Iran.
Mohammadreza Mobayen, Burn and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Velayat Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Mohammadreza Mobayen is An Associate Professor of Burn and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Velayat Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

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