혁신기업연구 April 2022, Vol. 6, No.1. pp.00-00	Submission Date:	28 March 2022
Print ISSN: 2713-4172 Online ISSN: 2713-7589	Revision Date:	10 April 2022
http://dx.doi.org/10.37297/IER.2022.04.6.1.3	Accepted Date:	22 April 2022

위의 형식은 샘플임

A Study on the Convergence Model of Korean Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism

Kyu-Young lee Yong-Keun lee

Fomer Part-time Professor, Dept. Smart Medical Wellness Tourism, Kongju National University Graduate School, jjangganman1@naver.com

Professor, Dept. Smart Medical Wellness Tourism, Kongju national Unversity Graduate School, touryklee@naver.com

	Abstract
Purpose– Despite the rapid growth of health-oriented tourism globally, no integrated framework has yet unified medical tourism and wellness tourism within the Korean context. This study aims to fill that gap by developing the K-MediWell tourism model, a convergence framework that strategically combines Korean medical tourism and wellness tourism into a single, high value-added health tourism system. Design/Methodology/Approach– This study employs an exploratory research design combining systematic literature review and case study analysis. Drawing on definitions provided by the UNWTO and ETC, along with existing academic literature on health tourism, medical tourism, and wellness tourism, the study examines the structural characteristics, historical development, and functional boundaries of each sector to identify points of convergence. Findings– Korean medical tourism, characterized as inbound and illness-reactive, and wellness tourism, characterized as domestic and health-proactive, are functionally complementary rather than competing. The two sectors share an overlapping zone encompassing health check-up services, cosmetic procedures, and holistic therapies. The K-MediWell model integrates four medical tourism types and four wellness tourism types into a unified convergence framework. Research Implications– The K-MediWell tourism model provides a practical and strategic convergence framework for policymakers, tourism planners, and industry stakeholders. By integrating the globally competitive strengths of Korean medical services with the growing domestic wellness tourism sector, this model offers a direction for positioning Korea as a premier global health tourism destination in the post-pandemic era.. Keywords: Convergence Model, Health Tourism, K-MediWell Tourism, Medical Tourism, Wellness Tourism

Ⅰ. Introduction

In recent year, health, wellness and medical tourism have grown exponentially and are becoming increasingly relevant in many emerging tourism destination around the world, with the acquisition of information of Media and the promotion policies of the advancedcountries trying to develop the high value-added tourism industry for international tourism. The life expectancy is increasing at the fastest pace since the similar period due to the improvement of national income and living standards according to economic growth, the improvement of health and hygiene, the development of medicine, and the change of consciousness due to the improvement of educational conditions. In addition, the interest in “living healthy” rather than “living for a long time” is expected to serve as the root cause of the rapid growth of the health-related industry in the future.

Medical tourism is highlighted in that it is a SIT(Special Interest Tourism) product with high profitand labor generation effect. The global medical tourism market generated more than $58.6 billion in 2018, with a strong projection to hit $142.2 billion by 2026(Medical Tourism Magazine, 2020). In Asia, South Korea became favorite medical tourism destination for 0.5 million of medical tourists seeking quality and affordable cosmetic surgeries, elective orthopedic procedures, and bariatric surgeries in 2019.

But the coronavirus pandemic hit the brakes on the tourism industry’s expansion. With a record decline in airline demand and shut down of medical tourism agencies, medical tourism for international tourists came to a screeching halt. Many of outbound tourists seeking healing tourism who can’t go abroad turned into domestic wellness tourists who generated high value-added in Korea. Medical tourism started for promoting inbound tourism. But wellness tourism started for promoting domestic tourism. So Medical tourism is bounded for wellness tourism, and wellness tourism is bounded for medical tourism.

According to the environmental change of coronavirus pandemic, the remodeling of tourism business model in the tourism industry should be needed to shift from face-to-face business to untack business. People gradually want health and happiness oriented wellness tourism. Untack platform in the tourism industry is popularized with coronavirus pandemic. In Untack tourism platform era, health oriented contents such as medical tourism and wellness tourism become more important than before.

Medical tourism, which originated from the increased burden of medical expenses due to the aging of the population and dissatisfaction with the domestic medical service, is rapidly growing in the international tourism through the acquisition of the medical tourism promotion policy of each country. As the life expectancy is increasing at the fastest pace since the similar period due to the improvement of national income and living standards according economic growth, the change of consciousness due to the improvement of the educational level, wellness tourism is also starting in the domestic tourism.

In Korea, Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism Industry is growing larger. Korean Medical Tourism started with Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2009. But Korean Wellness Tourism started with Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018. But so far, there is no convergence model of medical tourism and wellness tourism. They belong to the health tourism on the literature study. Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities which increase the capacity of individual to satisfy their own needs and function better as individuals in their environment and society.

This study is focused on developing the high value-added model of Korean-styled new health-oriented tourism industry. The development of Korean-styled model is based on literatures study of medical tourism and wellness tourism related to the health tourism. In Korea, the medical tourism is composed of sever disease treatment type, pregnancy and delivery care type, beauty and well-being promotion type, health checkup and promotion type. The wellness tourism is composed of Korean herbal and wellbeing type, beauty and spa type, Yoga and meditation type, natural healing type. The brand of Korean medical and wellness tourism model is named as the K-MediWell tourism. In turn, the future implications and directions that tourism industry goes for after Pandemic are provided, and we emphasize the provision of high value-added tourism to tourism-related specialists for overcoming the difficulties which never met before.

Ⅱ. Literature Reviews

1. Definition: Health Tourism, Medical Tourism, and Wellness Tourism

In general, “Tourism” means the activities of persons traveling to and staying in place outside their usual environment for leisure, business and other special interest. By super-connection through the 4th industry revolution, a lot of special domains continue to be combined with tourism; Ecology tourism, cultural tourism, art tourism, historical tourism, social tourism, green tourism, dark tourism, ethnic tourism, fair tourism, slow tourism, education tourism, health tourism, medical tourism, wellness tourism. The more tourist are interested in health, the more health-oriented tourisms such as health tourism, medical tourism and wellness tourism are combined. One of the SIT (Special Interest Tourisms) is health tourism including medical tourism and wellness tourism.

One trend happening in the medical scene recently is the growth medical or health tourism. Which simply put is the act of travelling to another country to use their medical care and other health services. Health or medical tourism is mostly considered by residents of lesser-developed countries where some medical treatments for specific conditions are not yet available. They travel abroad to get the right treatment they need. The trend is shifting where more developed countries are seeking lower-cost but higher quality medical treatment with shorter lead times. The global medical tourism market size is expected to reach USD 207.9 billion in 2027, expanding at a 21.1% CAGR during the forecast period (ResearchAndMarket.com, 2020). Hall(2011) identified some of the interrelationships between different areas of health and medical tourism, including wellness and wellbeing tourism, dental tourism, stem-cell tourism, transplant tourism, abortion tourism, and xeno-tourism, according to the relationships to concept of wellness and illness and the extent to which regulation encourages individuals to engage in cross-border purchase of heal service and product.

The definitions of health tourism, wellness tourism and medical tourism which UNWTO(World Tourism Organization) and ETC(European Travel Commission) recommended are as follows(World Tourism Organization and European Travel Commission, 2018);

Health tourism covers those types of tourism which have as a primary motivation, the contribution to physical, mental and/or spiritual health through medical and wellness-based activities which increase the capacity of individuals to satisfy their own needs and function better as individuals in their environment and society. Starting at the simplest level, medical tourism is undertaken by people who are sick of ailment and condition and wellness tourism is undertaken by people who are healthy or well.

Health tourism is the umbrella term for the subtypes: internationally-based medical tourism and nationally-based wellness tourism. Medical tourism is the set of activities in which a person internationally travels across the border to get main medical services. But medical tourist would be exposed to the direct or indirect engagement in culture, environment, food, heritage or other various aspects of destination’s activities. A severe patient who needs emergency or critical medical care without any tour-related activities, he/she could be subject to medical travel, but not medical tourism. Accordingly, a light patient who can travel to visited destination is subject to medical tourism. Five major factors called “5 A Factors” of medical tourism are Affordable care abroad, Accessible care and treatment, Available care, Acceptable medical service abroad and Additional benefit such as better care, modern technology, latest medicine, better hospitality, personalized care (Medical Tourism Magazine, n.d.)

Medical tourism is a type of tourism activity which involves the use of evidence-based medical healing resources and services (both invasive and non-invasive). This may include diagnosis, treatment, cure, prevention and rehabilitation. Medical Tourism is one of the important factors for revenue generation for the developing countries which have an advanced healthcare infrastructure and skilled manpower to cater to international patients. Healthcare provider now offer comprehensive tourism packages that include service ranging from ticket booking to hotel stay and healthcare insurance.

Wellness tourism is a type of tourism activity in which a person nationally travels to improve and balance all of the main domains of human life including physical, mental, emotional, occupational, intellectual and spiritual. The primary motivation for the wellness tourist is to engage in preventive, proactive, lifestyle enhancing activities such as fitness, healthy eating, relaxation, pampering and healing treatments. Wellness tourism is the sum of all the relationships and phenomena resulting from a journey and residence by people whose main motive is to preserve or promote their health. A number of sub-segment of wellness tourism is composed of spa tourism, thalasso tourism, holistic tourism, yoga and meditation tourism and spiritual tourism. Thus, wellness tourism is primarily domestic, short-break travel, and tends to be associated with saps, retreats, or outdoor/sports activities. The global wellness tourism market revenue was valued at USD 639.65 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 1,062.83 billion by 2025. The domestic wellness tourism market was valued at USD 432.99 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 656.51 billion by 2025 (Market Research Report, 2019). Wellness tourists who desire to enhance, their mental and physical wellbeing have favored the demand for wellness-related services including the aroma and spa therapies worldwide. High awareness among tourists about holistic health therapies and high disposal incomes boosts domestic wellness tourism market for health, in addition to anti-aging treatments and spa treatments.

Fig. 1.Description of Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism

Sources: Global Spa Summit (2011).

Fig.1 presents a comparative framework of medical and wellness tourism across two analytical dimensions: traveler characteristics and destination characteristics. Reading the figure from left to right reveals a fundamental distinction: medical tourists are typically ill individuals seeking reactive, medically necessary interventions at hospitals or clinics, whereas wellness tourists are healthy individuals proactively pursuing lifestyle enhancement at spas, retreats, or nature-based destinations. Critically, the figure also identifies a zone of overlap - encompassing health check-up services, cosmetic procedures, and holistic therapies - that provides the empirical basis for the convergence model proposed in this study. This overlap is where K-MediWell tourism operates.

2. Historical Development of Health-Oriented Tourism

The history of health-oriented tourism are as follows (Health-Tourism.com. n.d.). In the ancient times, Studies of ancient cultures depict a strong link between religion and healthcare, which dates back thousands of years. Most ancient civilizations recognized the therapeutic effects of mineral thermal springs and sacred temple baths as health-oriented tourism. In the middle ages, with the downfall of the Roman Civilization, Asia continued to be the prime health-oriented tourism destination for healthcare travelers. Temples gave way to hospitals that provide clinical services to travelers seeking healthcare. In the renaissance period, the renaissance period of the 14th to 17thcentury, not only highlighted the rebirth of art and culture in Europe and England, but was also a period where health-oriented tourism flourished. In the post-renaissance period, Aristocrats from around Europe continued to swarm to Bath for healing and therapeutic cleansing. In the 1900s to 1997, the USA and Europe were not only the commercial and industrial centers, but they were also the center of the healthcare world. Medical travel was limited to the affluent rich who traveled to these countries in order to receive high-end medical services. In 1997-2001, The Asian economic crisis in 1997 and the collapse of Asian currencies prompted government officials in these nations to direct tourism efforts in marketing their countries as premiere destinations for international healthcare. Thailand quickly became the hub for plastic surgery, with fees charged at a fraction of what Western countries could offer.In 1997, JCI (Joint Commission International) was formed to check and investigate international healthcare facilities for conformance to international standards due to the emergence of health providers around the world. In 2001 to 2006, after the events of 9/11 and the construction boom in Asia, medical tourism continued its massive growth with as many as 150,000 US Citizens traveling to destinations in Asia and Latin America in 2006. During this time, the dentistry and cosmetic surgery industries reached new heights in these countries. In 2007-2016, the number of American medical tourists increased to 300,000 in 2007, the largest ever in medical tourism history. This figure is estimated to reach 1.25 million in 2014, as patients continue to pack suitcases and board airplanes for offshore procedures such as face-lifts, bypass surgery or fertility treatments. In 2016 and Beyond, the integration of Industrial Revolution 4.0 technologies in general healthcare industry will benefit medical tourism as it well revolutionize patients’ travel options and patterns. The freer mobility of medical tourists around the globe has relatively changed the requirements of demand and supply of healthcare products and services. The mobile healthcare innovates into related digitalized products such as wearables, digital sensors and biotelemetry. IoT (Internet of Things) is conquering every aspect of human life and work environment. This is no exception to the healthcare industry(WongandHazley, 2020). The technology is very much relevant and useful for medical tourism. Tele-consulting can be performed remotely by surgeons to assess medical tourists’ healing and wound recovery process even when they reside in their home country. The wearables and sensors that form part of IoT are indicated to be beneficial to healthcare professionals are gaining effective benefits(Junata and Tong, 2018). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, and diabetes is increasing due to the alterations in lifestyle and lack access to prevent care. The causes of chronic diseases may vary from genetic disposition to environmental factors and oxidative stress(Prescient & Strategic Intelligence, 2020). They are favorably impacting the growth of the health-related tourism market globally. Thus, health-converged tourism is an efficient way to curb the rising healthcare cost across the globe, which further helps in the growth of the health-converged tourism industry.

3. Conceptual Relationships Between Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism

Although the concept of health tourism is widespread, as the tourist demand market is segmented, it includes health-oriented tourisms such as medical travel, medical tourism, wellness tourism, spa tourism. The health-oriented tourism in demand side started with spa tourism. According to the development process of civilizations, spa tourism expanded to health tourism, health tourism expanded to medical travel, medical travel expanded to medical tourism, medical tourism expanded to wellness tourism. The definition of health tourism in supply side is the attempt on the part of a tourist facility or destination to attract tourists by promoting its health-care services such as medical examinations, special diets, acupuncture, trans-vital injection, vitamin-complex-intakes, special medical treatments and herbal remedies, and facilities, in addition to its tourist amenities (Goodrich and Goodrich, 1991). According to tourist’s fundamental needs in demand side, the health tourism is divided into two categories. The first one consists of medical tourists who travel in order to treat a certain illness or to receive medical care. The second one consists of wellness tourists who go on vacation in order to improve their health and well-being. Thus, the health tourism is an umbrella that covers two categories of tourists such as medical tourists with health problems seeking illness care and wellness tourists seeking health improvement for preventive medicine.

Fig. 2.Typology of Tourism in Relation to HealthTourism

Source: Lee Yong-Keun (2019).

Fig.2 provides the taxonomic foundation for this study’s analytical framework. The diagram should be read top-down: ‘Tourism’ at the apex branches into three categories — Business, Special Interest, and Leisure Tourism. Health Tourism occupies a sub-branch of Special Interest Tourism, and it in turn divides along a health axis into Medical Tourism (illness side: surgery, disease treatment) and Wellness Tourism (health side: specific illness prevention, health promotion). This hierarchical structure clarifies two important points for the present study: first, that both medical and wellness tourism are sub-types of a single parent category (health tourism), making convergence conceptually coherent; and second, that their separation along the illness - health axis reflects a functional rather than categorical distinction - one that can be bridged through integrated service design.

Wellness tourism is often conflated with medical tourism. But wellness tourism is not medical tourism. While these challenges such as aging populations, an alarming rise in chronic disease, failing medical system with rising costs and the stress with lifestyle are already pervasive in developed countries, they are also rising in developing countries as people grow more wealthy, urbanized, and sedentary. Specially, as health-oriented tourists is proactively seeking optima state of wellbeing, Health tourism continuum is shifting from medical tourism to wellness tourism. Medical tourist is a reactive health tourist who focuses episodic illness treatment, clinical responsibility. Wellness tourist is a proactive health tourist who focuses on holistic disease prevention, individual responsibility, health improvement and maximizing his vitality. To be sure, there is some overlap between medical tourism and wellness tourism. From a medical tourism perspective, wellness tourists may weaken the destination’s image as lacking in medical quality. From a wellness perspective, health tourists may not enjoy destination that are full of sick patients. Both types of health-oriented tourism depend on a strong hospitality infrastructure such as flight connections, accommodations, ground transportation.

Smith andPuczko(2008) suggested that health tourism is divided into two categories at the health continuum. Medical tourism included surgical, cosmetic surgery, dentistry, operations, therapeutic, rehabilitation illness related, healing & recuperation. Wellness tourism included leisure & recreation, beauty treatments, sports & fitness, pampering, holistic, spiritual, yoga & meditation, new aged. The overlap of the two sections-medical and wellness-which is mixed interchangeably and arbitrarily included medical wellness, therapeutic recreation, rehabilitation lifestyle related, occupation wellness, thalasso therapy, nutrition & detox programs. So in the future convergence era, medical tourism and wellness tourism will be interchangeably converged, WellMedi (wellness medical) tourism or MediWell (medical wellness) tourism.

Fig. 3. Understanding the Difference between Wellness Tourism and Medical Tourism.

Sources: Global Wellness Institute (2018).

Figure 3 operationalizes the reactive–proactive distinction as a two-axis matrix, and it should be read as follows.

The diagram effectively reinforces the fundamental difference between the two concepts: Medical Tourism is driven by existing health problems and the need for medical intervention, While wellness tourism is driven by a desire to proactively enhance and preserve one’s health and quality of life

Medical tourism involves travelers who travel to a different place to reactively receive treatment for a disease, an ailment or to undergo a cosmetic procedure, and who are seeking lower cost of care, high quality of care, better access to care than what they could receive at home. So medical tourist is seeking cosmetic and dental surgical procedures or enhancements. Wellness tourism involves travelers who travel to different place to proactively pursue activities that maintain or enhance their personal health and wellbeing and to seek integrated wellness and prevention approaches to improve their health and quality of life. The relationship of medical tourism and wellness tourism depend on the four categories according to matrixes of traveler characteristics and destination characteristics.

Traveler without illness who participate in a yoga/meditation retreat is a wellness tourist. Traveler with illness who participate in a yoga/meditation retreat is a MediWell (medical wellness) tourist. Traveler with illness who participate in a medical spa clinic center is a medical tourist. Travel without illness who participate in a medical spa clinic center is a WellMedi (wellness medical) tourist.

4. Korean Context: Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism

Korean hot spring tourism which is called health-oriented tourism began in hundreds of years ago. A specific term which strictly reflect health tourism is absent in Korean literature. So Korean hot spring tourism so-called health tourism has the same meaning of medical tourism and wellness tourism. In the annals of the Joseon dynasty, it was reported that a lot of kings with illness went to the hot spring far away from Seoul for illness treatment. Health tourism means tourist activities related to the health improvement and preventive activities for tourists who feel healthy in general. The term ‘hot spring tourism’ used in Korean is more similar to medical tourism than wellness tourism. Medical tourism is more widespread than wellness tourism in Korea. But medical tourism has continued for 11 years since 2009. The accumulated numbers of medical tourists amounted to 2 million in 2019. Wellness tourism has continued for 4 years since 2016. The numbers of designated wellness tourism destinations amounted to 48 centers. The development of health tourism divided into medical tourism and wellness tourism has been affected by the creative economy of high value-added industry of central government.

Fig. 4. Korean Health Tourism Convergence

Fig.4 synthesized Korea’s health tourism landscape into an integrated visual framework that should be read along two axes. The vertical axis represents the health paradigm continuum - Medical Paradigm (left) to Wellness Paradigm (right) - while the horizontal axis implicitly distinguishes inbound (foreign patient) from domestic (Korean national) demand. On the medical side, four inbound service types are positioned: Severe Disease Treatment, Pregnancy and Maternity Care, Health Check-up Promotion, and Beauty and Wellbeing Promotion. On the wellness side, four domestic destination types appear: Korean Traditional Medicine, Beauty and Spa, Forest and Healing, and Yoga and Meditation. The critical insight the figure conveys is structural: although the eight service types are currently administered by two separate government ministries, they form a functionally contiguous ecosystem. The spatial proximity of medical and wellness types within the same overarching ‘Health Tourism’ boundary in the figure visually argues for the feasibility - and necessity - of the K-MediWell convergence model.

The first is the type of Korean traditional medicine-oriented wellness tourism destination. The second is the type of beauty and spa-oriented wellness tourism destination. The third is the type of yoga and meditation-oriented wellness tourism destination. The forth is the type of forest and healing-oriented wellness tourism destination.

There are 4 types of medical tourists who come to Korea from foreign countries (traveler characteristics). The first is the type of severe disease treatment. The second is the type of pregnancy maternity care. The third is the type of beauty and wellbeing promotion. The forth is the type of health check-up promotion. There are 4 types of wellness tourism (destination characteristics) for Korean domestic tourism. The first is the type of Korean traditional medicine-oriented wellness tourism destination. The second is the type of beauty and spa-oriented wellness tourism destination. The third is the type of yoga and meditation-oriented wellness tourism destination. The forth is the type of forest and healing-oriented wellness tourism destination.

Fig. 5.Integrated Model of Health Tourism

Source: LeeYong-Keun(2019).

Fig.5 presents the K-MediWell Tourism convergence model, the central contribution of this study. The figure should be read in two panels. The left panel depicts Korea’s current structure: Medical Tourism (upper-left, reactive, inbound) and Wellness Tourism (lower-left, proactive, domestic) operating as entirely separate sectors, divided by a vertical boundary. The right panel depicts the proposed K-MediWell convergence zone: a unified destination ecosystem in which the boundary between the two sectors is dissolved. Within this convergence zone, inbound medical tourists who have completed clinical procedures - including severe disease treatment, pregnancy care, and health check-ups - gain structured access to wellness recovery services such as Korean Traditional Medicine, Beauty and Spa, Forest and Healing, and Yoga and Meditation. The directional arrow at the centre of the figure (left panel → right panel) represents the model’s core argument: that the transition from a bifurcated to an integrated health tourism system is not only conceptually justified but operationally achievable. Readers should note that the overlapping shaded region in the right panel, where medical and wellness service types co-appear, defines the K-MediWell service boundary - the zone where high value-added convergence tourism is delivered.

Ⅲ. Methods

1. Research Design

This study employs an exploratory case study approach to develop an integrated convergence model of medical tourism and wellness tourism in Korea. The exploratory case study methodology was selected as most appropriate given the nascent nature of health tourism convergence and the absence of existing integrated models in the Korean context. This methodological approach enables comprehensive examination of complex phenomena within their real-world context, particularly suitable for investigating emerging tourism business models in the convergence era. The methodological basis of this study contributes to an exploratory case study that developed the new integrated model of medical tourism and wellness tourism in Korea as Convergence era is coming true. This case study included reviews and statistical analysis of Korean medical tourism and wellness tourism, which provided detailed contextual information on Korean health-oriented tourism. Korean Medical tourism started from 2009 in Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Korean wellness tourism started from 2016 in Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

2. Analytical Framework and Study Context

The analysis follows a multi-stage process:

Stage 1 - Conceptual Analysis: Examination of theoretical definitions and taxonomies of health tourism, medical tourism, and wellness tourism to establish conceptual boundaries and identify areas of overlap.

Stage 2 – Comparative Analysis: Systematic comparison of traveler characteristics (illness/wellness status, motivation, needs) and destination characteristics (facilities, services, infrastructure) across medical and wellness tourism sectors.

Stage 3 – Model Development: Synthesis of findings to construct an integrated convergence model based on identified complementarities and synergies between medical and wellness tourism.

Stage 4 - Contextualization: Application of the convergence model to the Korean health tourism context, considering institutional structures, market conditions, and post-pandemic tourism trends.

This dual-track development, characterized by separate governmental authorities and distinct target markets, presents both challenges and opportunities for convergence. The coronavirus pandemic beginning in 2020 provided an additional contextual factor, as international medical tourism declined while domestic wellness tourism expanded.

3. Limitations

This study acknowledges several methodological limitations. As an exploratory case study focused on Korea, findings may have limited generalizability to other national contexts with different healthcare systems, tourism infrastructures, and institutional arrangements. The reliance on secondary data and document analysis precluded direct stakeholder input through interview or surveys. Additionally, the rapidly evolving nature of health tourism despite these limitations, the exploratory case study approach provides valuable foundational insights for understanding health tourism convergence and developing integrate models applicable to Korean high value-added tourism development strategy

Ⅳ. The Model Development of K-MediWell Tourism

1. The Case for a Convergence Model

There are different interpretations of the health-oriented tourism development concept. Traditionally, it is defined as health tourism development, without including medical tourism and wellness tourism. A lot of previous works are devoted to the development of each tourism such as health tourism, medical tourism, wellness tourism. According to the expansion of platform business of 4th industrial revolution, it is suggested that a variety of tourisms need to converge into the new integrated model of tourisms in Korea. But in Korea, health tourism, medical tourism and wellness tourism is individually promoted by each authorities of government, Health tourism for only physical health originating from the old age develops into wellness tourism by including mental, spiritual, social health. So, they continued to be managed by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Medical tourism which started for earning foreign currency is managed by the Ministry of Health and welfare. They are treated as foreign patients not as medical tourists in Korea.

It was considered that government responsibility to prepare the one-stop service system for medical tourists who need aftercare service without being in the hospital. Korean Ministry of Health and welfare of government is interested in supporting medical tourism for economic income purposes, Its involvement and support for the healthcare side of the medical tourism is limited. Medical tourism was in progress with respect to the strong public health system without effective public regulation. According to the increasing of labor cost in Korean, Korean inbound tourism industry is turning into the low value-added industry. Under these situations, the annual growth rate of Korean medical tourism increased to 37.5% higher than 12% of Korean inbound tourists from 2009 to 2015.

In order to make medical tourists stay longer in Korea for recovering their health, the actualization of wellness tourism industry only for their convenience is promoted. Korean wellness tourism for domestic tourists which started from 2016 is directed to the inbound medical tourists for inducing high value-added inbound tourists after coronavirus pandemic. The Post-pandemic context further underscores the urgency of developing a convergence model, as the crisis accelerated the shift from conventional medical tourism toward integrated health tourism. Accordingly, the needs of the new SIT convergence business model for high added businesses is suggested. The convergence business model combining medical tourism and wellness tourism is divided into two categories. The first one is medical wellness-oriented convergence tourism for medical tourists’ aftercare. The second one is wellness medical-oriented convergence tourism for wellness tourists’ preventive medicine. In Korea, as the first one is more proper than the second one for excavation of the high value-added business, K-MediWell tourism model as Korean medical wellness convergence model is suggested. The convergence of medical and wellness tourism generates two complementary models: (1) medical wellness-oriented convergence tourism for medical tourists’ aftercare and recovery; and (2) wellness medical-oriented convergence tourism for wellness tourists’ preventive medicine access. In the Korean context, the former is the more immediately actionable priority, forming the basis of the K-MediWell tourism model proposed in this study.

2. The K-MediWell Tourism Model

K-MediWell tourism provides structured aftercare and healthcare services of inbound medial tourists through certified wellness tourism centers, resort hotel, and integrated health facilities. As illustrated in Figure 6, the model operates at the intersection of medical tourism (reactive, inbound, illness-focused) and wellness tourism (proactive, domestic, health-enhancement focused), creating a convergence zone in which high value-added services are delivered to both segments simultaneously.

Figure 6 should be read as a two-stage service pathway. In Stage 1, the inbound medical tourist arrives in Korea, undergoes clinical treatment at an accredited hospital, and is discharged with a K-MediWell aftercare recommendation. In Stage 2, the same tourist transitions-via structured handover protocols-to a certified K-MediWell wellness facility, where a tailored recovery programme is delivered. The directional flow in the figure (medical→wellness) represents the modelcore value proposition: extending the tourist’s length of stay, increasing total expenditure, and improving recovery outcomes simultaneously.

Through new-developed K-MediWell tourism model. Korean tourism industry will evolve from a fragmented, low value-added industry constrained by rising labor costs into a coherent, high value-added health tourism ecosystem. In Korea, the low value-added tourism industry can’t survive due to the increase of labor costs. K-MediWell tourism model will gives the future direction of high value-added tourism industry as Korea entered the advanced countries. With it the K-MediWell tourism so-called Korean health-oriented tourism will be emerging as the medical tourism and wellness tourism-intensive Korea. In the future, if South Korea and North Korea is integrated into one K-MediWell tourism country, DMZ and Panmunjeom-based K-MediWell tourism resort will be the greatest and most famous peace-minded tourism destination in the world.

Fig. 6. The Model of K-MediWell Tourism

3. The Practical Implications for Industry Stakeholders

K-MediWell model generates distinct, actionable implications for four categories of industry stakeholders: hospitals, wellness tourism operators, hospitality providers, and technology companies.

Korean hospitals serving inbound medical tourists should develop structured K-MediWell aftercare packages as a standard components of their international patient service offering. Rather than completing clinical treatment and facilitation patient departure, hospitals should act as the entry point of an extended health journey. Wellness tourism facilities designated as K-MediWell partners must upgrade their operational capabilities to accommodate medically recovering guests. This represents both a service obligation and a significant commercial opportunity: inbound medical tourists constitute a high-spending, high-motivation client segment with willingness to pay premium prices for evidence-based recovery programme. Hotels and resorts located near major medical clusters represent a critical infrastructure layer in the K-MediWell model. Currently, most medical tourist accommodation is generic, neither optimized for recovery nor connected to wellness programming. The K-MediWell framework creates a new hospitality category: the medical recovery resort. The Forth Industrial Revolution technologies that are transforming general healthcate - IoT wearables, telemedicine platforms, AI-driven health monitoring, and digital patient management system – are directly applicable to the K-MediWell service model and represent a major commercial opportunity for Korean health technology companies

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Based on the developed model, this study provides useful insights and directions for tourism specialists who are interested in health-oriented tourism including medical tourism and wellness tourism. The largest international medical tourists are expected to flow to domestic wellness tourism for their aftercare and healthcare. In the future, Korean tourism will be the largest convergence of medical wellness tourism.

Fig. 7. K-MediWell Converged Tourism Model

The K-MediWell tourism model represents a strategic convergence framework that bridges the gap between Korea’s medical tourism (international, illness-focused) and wellness tourism (domestic, health-promotion focused) sectors. As illustrated in Figure 7, the model operates along two intersecting continua: traveler health status (illness to wellness) and destination characteristics (medical to wellness facilities).

The model identifies four distinct convergence zones based on the intersection of traveler characteristics and destination attributes:

: International medical tourists transitioning to wellness destinations for aftercare and recovery. This represents the primary target of K-MediWell, where post-surgical patients utilize Korean wellness facilities specializing in yoga and meditation programs, forest and healing experiences, and beauty and spa services for extended recuperation. This quadrant addresses the critical gap in traditional medical tourism by providing structured aftercare in comfortable, non-clinical environments that promote holistic recovery through mind-body integration, nature-based therapy, and rejuvenating treatments.

: Health-conscious wellness tourists accessing preventive medical services focused on beauty and wellbeing promotion. Domestic and international wellness tourists incorporate cosmetic enhancements, aesthetic procedures, anti-aging treatments, and comprehensive beauty-oriented medical services into their wellness journeys, representing proactive health management. This quadrant emphasizes the integration of medical expertise with wellness goals, targeting tourists who seek to enhance their appearance and overall wellbeing through medically-supervised beauty and wellness interventions.

: Traditional medical tourism focused on clinical procedures including pregnancy and maternity care, and severe disease treatment. This quadrant encompasses international patients seeking specialized medical interventions such as prenatal care, childbirth services, postpartum care, as well as treatment for serious medical conditions requiring advanced surgical procedures, cancer treatment, cardiovascular interventions, and other complex medical care. These services are delivered in hospital settings without wellness integration, focusing primarily on clinical outcomes.

: Traditional wellness tourism emphasizing Korean traditional medicine (Hanbang) approaches. This quadrant focuses on domestic and international tourists seeking authentic Korean wellness experiences through traditional herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy, traditional Korean dietary therapy, and holistic healing practices rooted in Eastern medicine philosophy. These experiences emphasize relaxation, natural healing, and preventive health maintenance without conventional medical procedures, offering culturally distinctive wellness journeys based on Korea’s rich heritage of traditional healing practices.

The model creates value by transforming the traditional medical tourism pathway. Instead of the conventional sequence (arrival → medical procedure → immediate departure), K-MediWell extends the journey (arrival → medical procedure → wellness recovery → departure), significantly increasing tourist expenditure, length of stay, and satisfaction. Medical tourists benefit from enhanced recovery outcomes in therapeutic wellness environments, while wellness facilities gain access to high-spending international clientele previously limited to hospitals.

The model’s implementation requires unprecedented coordination between Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (medical tourism authority) and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (wellness tourism authority). Currently, these sectors operate independently with separate policies, standards, and marketing strategies. K-MediWell necessitates unified regulatory frameworks, integrated quality certification combining medical accreditation (JCI) with wellness standards, and coordinated international marketing positioning Korea as a comprehensive health tourism destination.

The model identifies four destination types required for operationalization: (1) Medical-wellness hybrid facilities offering spa and wellness services within hospital settings; (2) Wellness resorts enhanced with telemedicine and medical consultation capabilities; (3) Urban medical-wellness clusters where hospitals and wellness facilities are geographically proximate; (4) Integrated resort complexes combining comprehensive medical clinics with extensive wellness amenities.

For improvement of K-mediwell converged tourism model, the suggestions of this study are as follows.

The first, medical tourism and wellness tourism in Korean will be interchangeably converged, mediwelll (medical wellness) tourism or wellmedi (wellness medical) tourism. The former model called “K-MediWell tourism” which is wellness tourism oriented to medical tourism is formed to attract wellness tourists who are intra-regional and domestic travelers at the opposite end of the health continuum is suggested in this study. Another model of K-WellMedi tourism which is medical tourism oriented to wellness tourism is formed to attract medical tourists who are international inbound travelers at the opposite end of the health continuum. By exporting K-WellMedi tourism complex to the developed countries, K-WellMedi tourism complex will be expected to play a role of hubs to attract domestic K-MediWell tourists there to international K-MediWell tourism industry.

The second, international medical tourism which means visits to the medical center is additionally equipped with wellness-related offerings such as thermal/sand baths, wet areas, pampering treatment, yoga/meditation, vino therapy, thalassotherapy, fitness and beauty services.

The third, other model designed for a lot of convergences at every stage of development will be developed. We need to explore the new model of K-WellMedi tourism convergence with K-MediWell tourism model. The former is exported to foreign developing countries, the latter is exported to foreign developed countries. K-MediWell tourism will be required to prevent illness and to promote well-being for national wellness tourists. The well-developed K-MediWell model will strengthen Korean resilience against future global health crises by positioning the country as a high value-added integrated health tourism destination.

The forth, convergences of tourism challenge section leaders and competitors to work together for common goal for success. Long term thinking, planning and cooperation are required to maximize the strength and continued focus of convergences. True convergences are defined, organized, governed, in ways that are separate and distinct from other models such as medical tourism associations, wellness tourism associations, informal healthcare hubs and resort hotel. Creating strategy, developing and implementing a convergence plan for success requires experience, knowledge, and expertise that the convergence tourism training program help provide innovative solutions to convergence problem.

This exploratory model requires empirical validation through pilot implementations measuring tourist satisfaction, health outcomes, and economic impacts. Future research should examine: (1) comparative outcomes for medical tourists with versus without wellness aftercare; (2) market demand analysis assessing willingness to pay for integrated packages across different nationalities and medical conditions; (3) stakeholder feasibility studies identifying implementation barriers from hospital, wellness facility, and tourism agency perspectives; (4) international benchmarking comparing Korea’s convergence approach with competing destinations like Thailand and Singapore.

The K-MediWell model represents Korea’s strategic evolution from low to high value-added tourism, leveraging the nation’s dual strengths in advanced medical infrastructure and rich wellness tourism resources to create a differentiated position in the global health tourism marketplace.

In conclusion, the K-MediWell convergence model offers a comprehensive framework for Korea’s health tourism future, addressing current fragmentation, creating new value through integration, and positioning the nation strategically in post-pandemic global tourism. While implementation challenges are substantial—requiring institutional coordination, infrastructure investment, and professional capacity development—the model’s theoretical foundation, operational logic, and strategic necessity suggest significant potential for creating sustainable high value-added tourism serving both tourist wellbeing and national economic development objectives. As global health tourism markets continue evolving, Korea’s success in operationalizing integrated health tourism models may well determine its competitive positioning in the coming decades.

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저자 사항 (Author(s) Note):
이 규 영(Lee, Kyu-Young) ․제1저자(First author): ․eMail: jjangganman1@naver.com ․현재: Part-time Professor ․관심분야: Smart Medical Wellness Healing Tourism ․Ex-Part-time Professor, Faculty of Smart Medical Wellness Tourism of Graduate School, Kongju National Unversity	이 용 근(Lee, Yong-Keun) ․교신저자(Corresponding author): ․eMail: touryklee@naver.com ․현재: Professor ․관심분야: Healing Tourism, Smart Tourism ․Ph.D., A Professor, Faculty of Tourism Management, Kongju National University.

한국 의료관광과 웰니스관광의 융합모델에 관한 연구

이규영* 이용근

* 제1저자,

교신저자,

	국문초록
연구 목적 – 전 세계적으로 건강 지향 관광이 급성장하고 있음에도 불구하고, 한국적 맥락에서 의료관광과 웰니스관광을 통합한 체계적 프레임워크는 아직 존재하지 않는다. 본 연구는 이러한 공백을 메우기 위해 한국 의료관광과 웰니스관광을 단일의 고부가가치 건강관광 시스템으로 전략적으로 결합한 융합 프레임워크인 K-MediWell 관광 모델을 개발하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 연구 설계/방법론/접근법 – 본 연구는 체계적 문헌 고찰과 사례 분석을 결합한 탐색적 연구 설계를 채택하였다. UNWTO 및 ETC의 정의와 건강관광, 의료관광, 웰니스관광에 관한 기존 학술 문헌을 토대로, 각 부문의 구조적 특성, 역사적 발전 과정, 기능적 경계를 검토하여 융합 지점을 도출하였다. 연구 결과 – 한국 의료관광은 인바운드 및 질병 대응적 특성을, 웰니스관광은 국내 중심 및 건강 증진적 특성을 지니며, 양 부문은 경쟁 관계가 아닌 기능적 보완 관계에 있음이 확인되었다. 두 부문은 건강검진 서비스, 미용 시술, 통합적 치유 요법을 포괄하는 중첩 영역을 공유한다. K-MediWell 모델은 4가지 의료관광 유형과 4가지 웰니스관광 유형을 하나의 통합 융합 프레임워크로 결합하였다. 연구 시사점 – K-MediWell 관광 모델은 정책 입안자, 관광 기획자, 산업 이해관계자를 위한 실용적이고 전략적인 융합 프레임워크를 제공한다. 한국 의료 서비스의 글로벌 경쟁력과 성장하는 국내 웰니스관광 부문을 통합함으로써, 본 모델은 포스트 팬데믹 시대에 한국이 세계적인 건강관광 거점으로 자리매김하기 위한 방향성을 제시한다. 핵심어: 융합모델, 건강관광, K-MediWell 관광,의료관광, 웰니스관광,광