Investigating the Necessity of Establishing an Academic Major in Health Tourism and Marketing from the Perspective of Faculty Members at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences

Background: The benefits and development of the health tourism sector highlight the need to train skilled and competent individuals in this field.Objectives: The current study aimed to determine the necessity of establishing an academic major in health tourism and marketing from the perspective of faculty members at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, ۱۷۷ faculty members at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences were selected using a stratified sampling method. The research tool was a valid and reliable ۳۱-item, researcher-made questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. Normal data were analyzed using a one-sample t-test, while non-normal data were analyzed using non-parametric tests, such as the binomial/proportion test, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis in SPSS software.Results: Participants believed that Iran holds the necessary capacities for developing health tourism and that the development of this field would benefit the country (P < ۰.۰۵۰). The majority of participants (۹۳%), with a mean score of ۸۵.۹۷ ± ۲.۱, mentioned the necessity of marketing and training specialized human resources in the field of health tourism and marketing. Additionally, ۹۶.۰۴% of participants agreed that developing health tourism and launching an academic major in health tourism and marketing aligned with the general policies and plans of Iran and the Ministry of Health. Moreover, ۸۸.۱۳% of participants considered it necessary to establish an academic major in health tourism within the country (P < ۰.۰۰۱).Conclusion: Based on the results, Iran, with its existing capacities, provides a suitable platform for developing and attracting health tourists. To achieve this, it is necessary to employ specialized personnel in the field of health tourism and marketing, and to train skilled and competent individuals in this field, the establishment of an academic major in health tourism and marketing is essential.

کلیدواژه ها:

Needs assessment ، Marketing ، Health tourism ، Medical Tourism