Medikal turistlerin motivasyonlarına dayalı kümeleme analizi: Türkiye örneği

The tourism industry is considered one of the most important sectors globally, generating profits, creating job opportunities, and boosting the economies of countries. In recent years, various forms of tourism have emerged, with medical tourism being among the most prominent. The number of people traveling abroad for medical tourism has increased for several reasons, including rising prices, long waiting queues, the efficiency of healthcare professionals, the quality of services provided by countries, natural landscapes, weather conditions, and other factors. Turkey is considered one of the greatest medical tourism destinations in the world. Hundreds of thousands of medical tourists choose Turkey due to its high reputation and the quality of its services in various medical treatments. This research aims to identify the types of medical tourists coming to Turkey for various treatments based on their personalities and the different motivations that led them to choose Turkey as a destination for medical tourism. The current research provides an effective categorization of medical tourists coming to Turkey for various treatments based on the medical tourism index. It also aims to build profiles according to demographic, behavioral, and psychographic characteristics. Data were collected from 554 medical tourists receiving treatment at major hospitals in Istanbul that offer medical tourism services. Two-step cluster analysis techniques were employed to examine and categorize the data into different clusters. In order to distinguish respondents based on different characteristics, the indicator of medical tourism was chosen as a criterion to identify individuals' motivations for selecting countries as destinations for medical tourism. The results of cluster analysis revealed the existence of four distinct clusters, each comprising individuals with similar characteristics and motivations. The analysis also demonstrated differences in demographic characteristics among members of the four clusters, as well as clear variations in behavioral traits. However, no differences were observed among the clusters in terms of psychographic characteristics, with members of all clusters showing moderate centrality according to the Plog model. Regarding the motivations that drove individuals to choose Turkey as a destination for medical tourism, the primary motivation for members of the first and second clusters was the quality of medical services provided by Turkish hospitals. In contrast, the main motivation for members of the third and largest cluster was the lower costs of treatment in Turkish hospitals. Meanwhile, members of the fourth cluster were driven by the tourist attractions of the destination. Effectively addressing the needs of each group will require different approaches and strategies for stakeholders in the tourism industry.