Modern directions of medical tourism development in Ukraine and the world

Kondratska, Liliya

Western Ukrainian National University, St. Lvivska, 11, Ternopil, 46001, Ukraine

Kondratska, L. (2026) Modern directions of medical tourism development in Ukraine and the world. Socio-Economic Problems and the State (electronic journal), Vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 44-61. URL: http://sepd.tntu.edu.ua/images/stories/pdf/2026/26klpatw.pdf

Scientific Journal "Socio-Economic Problems and the State"

1(34)

May-2026

Jan-2026

17-Jun-2026

Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University

UA

Ternopil

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-8953

https://doi.org/10.33108/sepd2026.01.044

338.48:613.7(477:410)

I11
I18
L83
F23

medical tourism
medical services
resort and recreational tourism
medical and health tourism
regional clustering
medical and tourism infrastructure
international standards

18

44-61

44

61

The presented scientific article examines the key features of the development of medical tourism as one of the most dynamic segments of the global service industry, which is formed at the intersection of the tourism and healthcare sectors. Theoretical approaches to determining the essence of the definition of «medical tourism» are analyzed and its difference from the medical and health and resort and recreational tourism directions is outlined, which consists in the dominance of the medical purpose of travel and the leading role of specialized medical infrastructure. The structure of demand for medical tourism services in Ukraine is revealed and the spatial organization of the industry is characterized, which is manifested in the concentration of highly specialized treatment in large cities, the development of sanatorium and resort territories and cross-border-oriented regions. An analysis of the development of medical and health tourism in the global context was carried out based on wellness economy data, focusing on the trajectory of the recovery of the Wellness Tourism segment after crisis shocks and strengthening its role as a tool for prevention, rehabilitation and recovery. The spatial diversification of the global health tourism market was highlighted, with Europe leading in terms of the number of trips, North America in terms of costs, and the growing dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region. The clusters of international specialization of medical tourism were systematized and Ukraine’s place in global medical tourism niches was determined. The factors of favorable and restraining influence on the development of medical tourism in Ukraine were outlined, in particular, price competitive advantages, resource and resort potential and the presence of specialization in individual branches of medicine, as well as investment, institutional, personnel and marketing restrictions. A set of interrelated measures to activate medical tourism in Ukraine is proposed, focused on regulatory and institutional regulation, clustering, digitalization of services, international positioning, and principles of sustainable development, forming positive prerequisites for the country's integration into the global medical tourism space.

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

http://elartu.tntu.edu.ua/handle/lib/52479

2223-3822

Scientific Journal "Socio-Economic Problems and the State"

http://sepd.tntu.edu.ua/images/stories/pdf/2026/26klvruw.pdf
http://tourinform. org.ua/medychnyj-turyzm-vidpochynok-chy-likuvannya-novitni-aspekty-2
https://doi.org/10.32782/2522-1795.2022.11.10
https://doi.org/10.32631/v.2022.4.09
http://www.uamt.org.ua
https://doi.org/10.18524/2303-9914.2025.1(46).332730
https://www.gsws.org
https://doi.org/10.32782/2522-1256-2024-41-13
https://doi.org/10.52058/2786-6300-2023-7(13)-75-87
https://economyandsociety.in.ua/index.php/journal/article/download/5892/5830/
https://doi.org/10.32782/2524-0072/2025-73-64

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Article

Scientific Journal "Socio-Economic Problems and the State", Vol.34, No.1