Systematic Review on the Evolution of Health Tourism: Identifying Future Trends

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Business administration, Faculty of Management and Accounting, College of Farabi, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.

2 Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Tourism Management and Economics, Faculty of Tourism, College of Management, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Context and Purpose: Given the expansion of research in health tourism, the present study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the field's evolution and to identify future research trends and directions through bibliometric and visualization techniques.
Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach using bibliometric methods. Data from 1997 to May 2024, limited to English-language reviews and research articles, were retrieved from the Web of Science database, comprising 1489 articles. Abstracts and keywords were subsequently analyzed. Data analysis, including authorship and keyword analysis, was conducted using VOSviewer software.
Findings: The findings reveal the most cited researchers, journals, countries, and universities in the field. Results from the co-authorship analysis indicate significant growth in health tourism within Asian countries. The co-occurrence analysis identifies wellness tourism also innovative marketing approaches as key areas for future research, including experiential marketing, value co-creation, service personalization, the integration of new technologies, and the roles of social media and branding.
Conclusion: Health tourism researchers and practitioners should pay particular attention to wellness tourism, innovative marketing concepts, and modern technologies, including telemedicine, wearable devices, and others, assisting health tourism development at the level of business and destination.
Originality/value: In addition to offering a comprehensive overview of the health tourism literature, this research illustrates the field's evolutionary trajectory, current trends, and emerging research topics for scholars and practitioners.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Tourism Planning and Development
Volume 13, Issue 51
December 2025
Pages 75-107

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