Health tourism - the potential of Istria in the International environment

Zdravstveni turizam najbrže je rastuća vrsta selektivnog turizma na svijetu. Starenje populacije, stresan i ubrzani životni stil i želja za zdravim životom utječu na porast potražnje za zdravstvenim uslugama. Slijedom navedenog unutar zdravstvenog turizma razvile su se niše medicinskog turizma, lječilišnog turizma i wellness turizma. Glavni razlozi putovanja u inozemstvo za ostvarivanje zdravstvene zaštite niža su cijena, nedostupnost usluge u zemlji domicila, bolja kvaliteta usluge, brža realizacija usluge i jamstvo privatnosti. Postojeći valorizirani potencijali Istre smještajni su kapaciteti, wellness hoteli, Istarske toplice, Bolnica za ortopediju i rehabilitaciju „dr. Martin Horvat“, privatne poliklinike i dentalni turizam. Trebalo bi uložiti dodatne napore u valorizaciju mora i klime (kroz talasoterapiju, klimatoterapiju i programe zdrave prehrane), terapijsko jahanje, širenje ponude Istarskih toplica i renoviranje Bolnice za ortopediju i rehabilitaciju „dr. Martin Horvat“. Daljnji razvoj trebalo bi temeljiti na interakciji dionika koji su provedenim istraživanjem pokazali dobro poznavanje problematike zdravstvenog turizma i njegovog povezivanja s drugim selektivnim vrstama.Health tourism is the fastest growing selective tourism form in the world. Aging of the population, stressful and accelerated lifestyles and the desire for a healthy life affect the growth of health services demand. According to this health tourism contains niches as medical tourism, treatment based tourism and wellness tourism. The main reasons for traveling abroad to use health care services are lower prices, unavailability of services in the resident country, better quality care, shorter waiting periods and privacy. The existing valorised potentials of Istria are the accommodation capacities, wellness hotels, The Istrian thermal resort, The Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Hospital “dr. Martin Horvat”, private polyclinics and the dental tourism. There should be involved additional efforts in the valorization of the sea and the climate potentials (through thalassotherapy, climatotherapy and programs of healthy nutrition), therapeutic riding, ameliorating the service supply of The Istrian thermal resort and renovation of The Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital "dr. Martin Horvat". A further development should be based on the interaction of stakeholders who have shown a good knowledge of the problematics of health tourism and its linking with other selective tourism forms