Economic Geography Research

Economic Geography Research

Analysis of factors affecting the development of health tourism with an emphasis on green marketing, case study: Zanjan city

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Mohammadreza Nemati 1
Mehdi Cheraghi 2
Amirhossein Barkhordari 1
1 MSc. Geography and Tourism Planning, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan , Zanjan, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan , Zanjan, Iran.
Abstract
The statistics of the World Tourism Organization show that tourism as an important economic sector is growing rapidly and has significant effects on individual and social development as well as the economic value hidden in the perspective of income and job development. Health tourism is one of the most important market segments of the tourism industry and is growing rapidly all over the world. In this regard, in the present research, the factors affecting the development of health tourism will be investigated with an emphasis on green marketing in Zanjan city. The current research is applied in terms of type and descriptive-analytical in nature. Qualitative data has been collected and analyzed using the interview tool and content analysis method with the foundation's data theory approach and using the opinions of elites, experts and activists of the tourism sector of Zanjan province and using the snowball sampling method. The research statistics include three groups of hotel managers (11 people), tour guides (27 people) and tourists (380 samples). Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics (one-sample t-test). The findings related to the market and marketing of tourism in Zanjan province show the unfavorable situation of this vital element in the tourism development of the province, and the results show that the tourism products of the province do not have the proper and favorable marketing power to attract tourists at the level of the capabilities of Zanjan province due to many reasons. One of the key criteria in the marketing of tourism products of the province is the financial criterion, as well as the brand reputation and its measurement is an effective component in evaluating the marketing performance in the tourism industry. In order to analyze and check the desirability of mixed marketing indicators, a sample T-Tech test has been used, based on this, the results of this test show that the lowest numerical average is related to the product index with an average of 2.30 and the evidence and physical facilities index with an average of 2.30 and the highest average is related to The price index has an average of 2.62 and the people and employees have an average of 2.54. Also, the numerical average of marketing is equal to 2.43.
Keywords
Sustainable tourism
responsible tourism
tourism development
qualitative research
Zanjan city
Agustini, D. H., Athanasius, S. S., & Retnawati, B. B. (2019): Identification of green marketing strategies: Perspective of a developing country. Identification of green marketing strategies: perspective of a developing country, 15(4), 42-56.‏
Amoako, G. K., Dzogbenuku, R. K., Doe, J., & Adjaison, G. K. (2020): Green marketing and the SDGs: emerging market perspective. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.‏
Beladi, H., Chao, C. C., Ee, M. S., & Hollas, D. (2019): Does medical tourism promote economic growth? A cross-country analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 58(1), 121-135.‏
Boroumandzad, Y., Zahmatkesh-Saredorahi, M., Siadatan, M., & Ardian, A. (2020): Identifying and ranking the factors affecting the development of health tourism. Health Information Management, 17(5), 221-226.‏ (in Persian)
Chamorro, A., & Bañegil, T. M. (2006): Green marketing philosophy: a study of Spanish firms with ecolabels. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 13(1), 11-24.‏
Cheng, Y. (2016): The Drivers of  Green Brand Equity: Green Brand Image , Green Satisfaction , and Green Trust. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(2), 307–319.
Crozier, G. K. D., & Thomsen, K. (2010): Stem cell tourism and the role of health professional organizations. The American Journal of Bioethics, 10(5), 36-38.‏
Fani Khiavi, R. (2014): Health tourism development strategies in Ardabil. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 2(2), 65-67.‏ (in Persian)
Fraj, E., Martínez, E., & Matute, J. (2013): Green marketing in B2B organisations: an empirical analysis from the natural‐resource‐based view of the firm. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing.
Gryshchenko, O., Babenko, V., Bilovodska, O., Voronkova, T., Ponomarenko, I., & Shatska, Z. (2022): Green tourism business as marketing perspective in environmental management. Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management.‏
Jahanbani, E., Derikvand, M., Najafpour, Z., Torabipour, A., & Razmi, V. (2021): Factors Affecting Health Tourism Development in Khouzestan Province in 2019. Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences, 13(2).‏ (in Persian)
Japanese Institute of Tourism Research. Handbook of Health Tourism; Japanese Institute of Tourism Research: Tokay, Japanese, 2010.
Jones, C. A., & Keith, L. G. (2006): Medical tourism and reproductive outsourcing: the dawning of a new paradigm for healthcare. International journal of fertility and women's medicine, 51(6), 251-255.‏
Ketter, E and Avraham, E. (2021): #StayHome today so we can #TravelTomorrow: tourism destinations’ digital marketing strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 38, pp. 1-14.
Khan, S. A. R., Razzaq, A., Yu, Z., & Miller, S. (2021): Industry 4.0 and circular economy practices: A new era business strategies for environmental sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(8), 4001-4014.
Konar, S., & Cohen, M. A. (2001): Does the market value environmental performance?. Review of economics and statistics, 83(2), 281-289.‏
Kumar, P. (2015): Green marketing innovations in small Indian firms. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 11(3), 176-190.‏
Leggat, P., & Kedjarune, U. (2009): Dental health,'dental tourism'and travellers. Travel medicine and infectious disease, 7(3), 123-124.‏
Lenzen, M. , Sun, Y. Y. , Faturay, F. , Ting, Y. P. , Geschke, A. , & Malik, A. (2018): The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nature Climate Change, 8(6), 522–528.
Lu, L., Bock, D., & Joseph, M. (2013): Green marketing: what the Millennials buy. Journal of business strategy, 34(6), 3-10.‏
Lunt, N., & Carrera, P. (2010): Medical tourism: assessing the evidence on treatment abroad. Maturitas, 66(1), 27-32.‏
Manna, R., Cavallone, M., Ciasullo, M. V., & Palumbo, R. (2020): Beyond the rhetoric of health tourism: shedding light on the reality of health tourism in Italy. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(14), 1805-1819.‏
Mishra, P., & Sharma, P. (2010): Green marketing in India: Emerging opportunities and challenges. Journal of Engineering, Science and Management Education, 3(1), 9-14.‏
Moravcikova, D., Krizanova, A., Kliestikova, J., & Rypakova, M. (2017): Green Marketing as the Source of the Competitive Advantage of the Business. Sustainability, 9(12), 2218.
Mukonza, C., & Swarts, I. (2019): Examining the role of green transformational leadership on promoting green organizational behavior. In Contemporary multicultural orientations and practices for global leadership (pp. 200-224). IGI Global.‏
Mueller, H., & Kaufmann, E. L. (2001): Wellness tourism: Market analysis of a special health tourism segment and implications for the hotel industry. Journal of vacation marketing, 7(1), 5-17.‏
Mura, L. (2020): INNOVATIONS AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT OF FAMILY BUSINESSES: RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL STUDY: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 8 (2), 56-66.
Nekmahmud, M., & Fekete-Farkas, M. (2020): Why not green marketing? Determinates of consumers’ intention to green purchase decision in a new developing nation. Sustainability, 12(19), 7880.‏
Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2016): Urban and transport planning, environmental exposures and health-new concepts, methods and tools to improve health in cities. Environmental health, 15, 161-171.‏
Nikezic, S., Djordjevic, M., & Bataveljic, D. (2012): Improvement of spa tourism in the Republic of Serbia as a pattern of positive impact on ecology and regional development. TECHNICS TECHNOLOGIES EDUCATION MANAGEMENT-TTEM, 7(2), 920-925.‏
O’Neill, B. C., Carter, T. R., Ebi, K., Harrison, P. A., Kemp-Benedict, E., Kok, K., ... & Pichs-Madruga, R. (2020): Achievements and needs for the climate change scenario framework. Nature climate change, 10(12), 1074-1084.‏
Ozkaya, H. E., Droge, C., Hult, G. T. M., Calantone, R., & Ozkaya, E. (2015): Market orientation, knowledge competence, and innovation. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 32(3), 309-318.‏
Papadas, K. K., Avlonitis, G. J., & Carrigan, M. (2017): Green marketing orientation: Conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Business Research, 80, 236-246.‏
Pavlyk, V. (2020): Assessment of green investment impact on the energy efficiency gap of the national economy.‏
Pereira, R. T., Malone, C. M., & Flaherty, G. T. (2018): Aesthetic journeys: a review of cosmetic surgery tourism. Journal of travel medicine, 25(1), tay042.‏
Pimonenko, T., Lyulyov, O., Chygryn, O., & Palienko, M. (2018): Environmental Performance Index: relation between social and economic welfare of the countries. Environmental Economics, 9(3), 1.
Richey Jr, R. G., Musgrove, C. F., Gillison, S. T., & Gabler, C. B. (2014): The effects of environmental focus and program timing on green marketing performance and the moderating role of resource commitment. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(7), 1246-1257.‏
Rodrigues, H., Brochado, A., Troilo, M., & Mohsin, A. (2017): Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? A critical content analysis on medical tourism. Tourism Management Perspectives, 24, 16-25.‏
Samy, M., Odemilin, G., & Bampton, R. (2010): Corporate social responsibility: a strategy for sustainable business success. An analysis of 20 selected British companies. Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 10(2), 203-217.‏
Sarantopoulos, I., & Demetris, L. (2015): The contribution of medical tourism to the economic and regional development in Greece. International journal of management and applied research, 2(2), 73-84.
Sayili, M., Akca, H., Duman, T., & Esengun, K. (2007): Psoriasis treatment via doctor fishes as part of health tourism: A case study of Kangal Fish Spring, Turkey. Tourism Management, 28(2), 625-629.‏
‏ Statman, M., & Glushkov, D. (2009): Equity investments: Research sources; investment theory: Efficient market theory; Portfolio management: Equity strategies. Financial Analysts Journal, 65(4).‏
Soonthonsmai, V. (2007): Environmental Or Green Marketing As Global Global Competitive Fdge: Concept. In Synthesis, And Implication, EABR (Business) &ETLC (Teaching) Conference Proceedings, Venice, Italy.‏
Straková, J., Korauš, A., Váchal, J., Pollák, F., Černák, F., Talíř, M., & Kollmann, J. (2021): Sustainable Development Economics of Enterprises in the Services Sector Based on Effective Management of Value Streams. Sustainability, 13(16), 8978.
Turner, L. (2010): “Medical tourism” and the global marketplace in health services: US patients, international hospitals, and the search for affordable health care. International Journal of Health Services, 40(3), 443-467.‏
Vilkaite-Vaitone, N., & Skackauskiene, I. (2019): Green marketing orientation: evolution, conceptualization and potential benefits. Open Economics, 2(1), 53-62.‏
Zhang, X., Guo, W., & Bashir, M. B. (2022): Inclusive green growth and development of the high-quality tourism industry in China: The dependence on imports. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 29, 57-78.‏
Zhang, Y., & Berhe, H. M. (2022): The Impact of Green Investment and Green Marketing on Business Performance: The Mediation Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Ethiopia’s Chinese Textile Companies. Sustainability, 14(7), 3883.‏
Economic Geography Research
Volume 3, Issue 10
Winter 2023
Pages 15-34

  • Receive Date 14 February 2023
  • Revise Date 06 March 2023
  • Accept Date 14 March 2023