Medical wellness tourism as a convergence of healthcare and hospitality: Business models and sustainable development strategies

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrative theoretical framework for medical wellness tourism (MWT) that bridges the tri-sectoral convergence of healthcare management, hospitality operations, and sustainable development governance, domains that have historically evolved in scholarly isolation, producing a body of literature that treats the medicine-hospitality relationship as additive rather than constitutive. Methodology. A systematic narrative literature review was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (2019–2026). Following PRISMA 2020-compliant screening and PICOS-R-structured inclusion criteria, the final analytical corpus comprised 183 sources (47 core peer-reviewed works). Thematic analysis followed the six-phase Braun and Clarke framework; inter-rater reliability was confirmed at weighted κ = 0.84. Content validity of the coding instrument was assessed using S-CVI/Ave, yielding a score of 0.91. Results. The Integrated Medical Wellness Tourism Convergence Framework (IMWTCF) was developed as a four-layer hierarchical model grounded in Service-Dominant Logic, the Resource-Based View, and the Business Model Canvas. Three business model archetypes were profiled using the MWT Value Creation Index (MWT-VCI): the Medical Hotel (7.33), the Wellness Resort (6.78), and the Digital Platform (6.25). Clinical integration (w = 0.45) emerged as the dominant value driver, generating a 17.3% MWT-VCI advantage for the Medical Hotel despite the Digital Platform's superior digital readiness. SDGs 3, 8, and 12 were confirmed as the natural sustainability cluster for MWT governance. Theoretical contribution. The IMWTCF operationalises tri-sectoral convergence as a legitimate unit of strategic analysis and demonstrates structural complementarity among S-D Logic (value co-creation), RBV (competitive durability), and the Business Model Canvas (operational architecture). Five formally grounded research propositions advance a testable framework for subsequent PLS-SEM validation. Practical implications. MWT enterprise managers should sequence digital investment after clinical integration, as each unit improvement in clinical capability yields 1.8× greater MWT-VCI gain than an equivalent digital upgrade. Policymakers are directed toward cluster-based governance as the primary instrument for overcoming regulatory fragmentation, the highest-severity barrier to MWT convergence, with particular relevance to post-conflict reconstruction contexts such as Ukraine's balneological corridor.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production