This study investigates the institutional structure and strategic positioning of the Pamukkale University Thermal Rehabilitation Center (PAÜTERM) as a model of integrative health tourism. PAÜTERM brings together modern robotic rehabilitation, certified Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM), and geothermal therapies within a university-affiliated, Ministry-certified framework. The article conducts a SWOT and TOWS analysis to evaluate PAÜTERM’s strengths—academic legitimacy, integrative clinical services, and thermal resources—as well as weaknesses such as limited international reach and infrastructural constraints. Opportunities include rising global interest in integrative care and Turkey’s health diplomacy, while threats stem from ecological risks and global competition. The discussion outlines strategic actions across four dimensions, such as developing training programs, expanding bilingual infrastructure, forming global partnerships, and institutionalizing environmental monitoring. It concludes that PAÜTERM, through agile governance and sustainability-driven innovation, can evolve into a globally competitive center for integrative medical tourism. The findings provide insights for policymakers, academics, and health administrators aiming to align traditional healing systems with contemporary healthcare strategies.

Purpose of this paper. The aim of the study is to develop a structured model that identifies and categorizes the expectations of health tourism sector entrepreneurs from governmental and provincial institutions in the city of Isfahan, Iran. Design/methodology/approach, a qualitative method was used to answer the research questions. To do this, a semi-structured questionnaire was used. Interviews were conducted in person and by phone. The sampling method was snowball, to collect the data from seven entrepreneurs. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis method. The obtained codes were reviewed by two university professors in the field of tourism. Findings. Main model is in line with the research question is the expectations of health tourism entrepreneurs from the government, which includes Facilitation of Health Tourism Regulations, Infrastructure Development, Development of Health Tourism Regulations, Health city Segmentations according to target markets, latitude of Private Sector, Calm political relations with countries, Establishing internal security, High Quality health services, Structural and administrative reform in Health tourism regulations, Establishing Coordination in related Organizations. The results show that creating a safe and stress-free environment for tourists can be a good solution for the development of this industry.

Objective: Third age tourism, a subset of health tourism, is gaining importance with the rise of the elderly population, which poses challenges in healthcare provision. Countries offering affordable treatment and care have facilitated the growth of this tourism segment. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for future research by examining academic publications related to health services and elderly tourist satisfaction within third age tourism using bibliometric analysis. Materials and Methods: A search was conducted in the WOS database using keywords including “older tourists,” “health services,” “expectations,” “satisfaction,” “health tourism,” and “medical tourism” for publications up to March 15, 2025. A total of 125 interdisciplinary studies were identified and analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.18 and Microsoft Excel. Analyses included publication year trends, citation counts, countries of origin, institutions involved, and major funding organizations. Findings: The first relevant study was published in 2010. A decline in publication numbers occurred after 2014, 2018, and 2022, with fluctuating annual output since 2013. “Medical tourism” was the most frequent keyword (f=156), and Malaysia led in publication count (n=15). The most cited article was by Han and Hyun (2015), with 362 citations. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) was the top funding body, while University Sains Malaysia was the most active and well-funded institution. Conclusion: Third age tourism is increasingly significant due to the aging population’s healthcare needs. The growing academic interest reflects this trend. The findings offer valuable insights for researchers aiming to explore elderly satisfaction and healthcare services in this context.

The senior tourism sector, akin to other industries, has continued to diversify and expand. Among these emerging sectors, senior tourism has become one of the most prominent. This study aims to analyze research conducted in the field of senior tourism from 2014 to 2024 and identify potential future opportunities. To this end, articles published in English in the topic category (title, abstract, keyword plus, and author keywords) on Web of Science, containing the terms ‘senior tourism,’ ‘retirement tourism,’ ‘senior friendly tourism,’ ‘third age tourism,’ ‘elderly tourism,’ and ‘elderly tour,’ were examined, resulting in a total of 388 articles. The results indicate that although publications related to senior tourism have increased, the number of citations has declined. The country with the highest citation count is China, and the most relevant affiliation is Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Among the 15 most frequently occurring keywords, terms such as hospitality, sustainability, motivation(s), travel, rural tourism, well-being, and quality of life are particularly prominent. Additionally, it was observed that single-authored papers are more prevalent than multi-authored works. The senior tourism literature, between 2014 and 2024, has transitioned from sector-specific and rural tourism topics to innovative themes such as individual well-being, health, and sustainability. As of 2024, strategic issues such as corporate social responsibility, gender differences, and competitive advantage have become more prominent. Senior tourism offers significant opportunities for the sustainable growth of the health tourism industry, in response to demographic shifts and the increasing travel demands of the aging population.

This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of health tourism policies for the last twenty years. The objective of the study is to reveal prominent topics, recent research trends, influential authors and popular documents. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to carry out the study. A Boolean search of the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection was utilized to identify published documents upon health tourism policy. A total of 144 published documents published in WOS between 2006 and 2024 were analyzed via VOSVIEWER. The study uncovers a multidisciplinary field with five main clusters such as health tourism, research and development, medical destination brand, medical facility and quality. Furthermore, the study points out that there is a change in research trends upon health tourism policy. While current studies in the scope address health management and medical tourist as recent topics, relatively recent studies seem to display focus on medical destination brand, equity, satisfaction, research and development, medical facility and policy. Moreover, health tourism is realized to hold powerful interconnections with some of those author keywords such as medical destination brand and policy. Presenting a meticulous review of the literature, this study contributes insights to literature a lot. Furthermore, it functions as a guide for researchers, scientists and policy makers to set up or improve theories, policies and studies.

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed pricing mechanisms across the tourism and medical tourism sectors, enabling unprecedented levels of price transparency, cost forecasting, and information accessibility. This review synthesizes the existing literature on AI-based price transparency systems and examines their impact on tourist confidence and destination choice. Findings indicate that AI-driven pricing tools—such as machine learning–supported cost estimators, automated price comparison engines, and real-time dynamic pricing platforms—significantly reduce perceived financial risk by clarifying expected costs and minimizing unexpected expenses. Increased transparency enhances trust in both service providers and destinations, thereby fostering greater consumer confidence and influencing destination selection. Furthermore, AI-enabled systems support equitable competition among destinations by standardizing pricing information, while also shaping tourists’ cognitive evaluations through eWOM analytics, sentiment analysis, and predictive modelling. However, challenges remain regarding algorithmic bias, data privacy, over-standardization of prices, and potential consumer reliance on automated systems. Overall, the review demonstrates that AI-based price transparency is a critical determinant of modern tourist behavior, strengthening trust, improving decision-making, and reshaping destination competitiveness. Future research should investigate cross-cultural differences in trust formation, the long-term behavioral impacts of AI-mediated pricing, and the ethical implications of algorithmic transparency in tourism markets. This review study explores how AI-based price transparency practices in the tourism sector influence tourist trust and, in turn, destination choice. It focuses on the effects of transparent pricing, dynamic pricing, and personalized AI-driven systems on tourists’ perceptions of fairness and trust, synthesizing existing research to clarify the relationship between price transparency, trust, and destination selection.

Health tourism has become not only an economic opportunity for countries but also a strategic area in terms of international prestige and service export. Türkiye, has the potential to become a global player in this field due to its advanced health infrastructure, cost-effective services and geographical advantages. However, in order to fully realize this potential, it is necessary to strengthen the promotional activities in the sector, combat illegal and unregulated practices, expand international accreditations and eliminate the lack of qualified human resources. In addition, the quality and reliability of the diagnosis, treatment and post-rehabilitation services offered to health tourists play a decisive role in the choice of destination. In this context, regulations such as complication insurance stand out as important steps to increase trust in the sector. Türkiye’s sustainable and competitive position in health tourism will be possible with comprehensive public policies, transparent pricing, coordinated organizational structures and digitally focused promotional strategies. In this study, Türkiye’s current situation in health tourism, strategic approaches, structural challenges and future opportunities are examined from a multidimensional perspective. As a result of the current situation analysis, strategic suggestions for the future of health tourism have been developed.

The rapid global increase in the 65+ population has positioned gerotourism as a strategically important field at the intersection of health and tourism. Within this context, cognitive health has emerged as a critical component shaping the travel motivations, risk perceptions, and service expectations of older adults. This review synthesizes current evidence on Alzheimer’s and dementia risk reduction practices and examines how these scientifically grounded interventions are being incorporated into geriatric check-up tourism. Findings indicate that multidimensional lifestyle interventions—including Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity, cognitive rehabilitation, social engagement, stress management, and mindfulness—provide measurable benefits in delaying cognitive decline and reducing modifiable dementia risk factors. Simultaneously, advancements in diagnostic technologies such as PET/MR imaging, liquid biopsy, and AI-driven cognitive assessment tools have expanded the scope and attractiveness of geriatric check-up packages offered by tourism destinations. The analysis highlights that cognitive health programs enhance tourist satisfaction, perceived health benefits, and destination trust, thereby strengthening loyalty among senior travelers. Furthermore, geriatric check-up tourism offers destinations significant economic advantages while encouraging preventive health behaviors among older adults. Overall, the review underscores the rising significance of cognitive health in gerotourism and argues that destinations should prioritize brain-health-oriented service models, enhance age-friendly infrastructure, and promote integrated neurological screening and wellness programs. Future research should further explore cross-national comparisons, technological innovations, and qualitative insights into senior tourist behavior to advance both theoretical and practical knowledge in this emerging field.

Developed within the scope of Türkiye’s health tourism vision, the HealthTürkiye brand and portal have been positioned as a one-stop digital platform for international patients. This study examines the strategic role of the HealthTürkiye portal and brand in light of the Regulation on International Health Tourism and Tourist Health dated April 26, 2025, and related documents. The legislative analysis reveals that innovations such as mandatory membership of healthcare facilities and intermediary institutions to the HealthTürkiye portal and performance monitoring criteria ensure compliance with international quality standards and digital integration. The components of the HealthTürkiye brand make significant contributions in the areas of digitalization, service quality, patient experience, and global brand image. In practice, the membership process and performance criteria of the portal have triggered a process of institutional alignment and transformation for healthcare facilities and intermediary institutions. The model centered on the HealthTürkiye portal is evaluated in terms of the advantages it provides in transparency, supervision, and promotion, as well as the challenges it presents regarding data sharing and adaptation. As a result, the HealthTürkiye brand serves as Türkiye’s gateway to the world and assumes a strategic role in the international healthcare system. The study offers recommendations for policymakers to ensure the portal’s sustainability and data security, and for healthcare facilities and intermediary institutions to invest in digital infrastructure and service quality.