Finding out Shared Expert Opinion on the Development of Inbound Medical Tourism: The Case of Russia
Delphi method is applied in this study for the developement of Saint-Petersburg (Russia) medical tourism. Medical tourism is an authorized facilitator company having the functions of a national or regional agent and approved by the state authorities that has to be the organizing core. The experts agreed that for attracting tourists the process of international accreditation of clinics, staff, hotel centers and resorts had to be launched. The process, for such a development has to begin with creating an own accreditation system for inbound medical travel services and market players under the authorized national or regional facilitator. It is pointed out that educational programs in medical tourism is an important direction in building this attidute. Thus, surveys have enabled the authors to word formalized suggestions on reference points of the medical tourism development concept for Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region.