Muslim-friendly medical tourism

Abstract

Tourism has emerged as an important socio-economic activity as it is a promising sector in the global economy. In every industry, intellectual capital is a crucial knowledge-based asset. It has become the most potent element in the production of organizational wealth. This article intends to shed some light on intellectual capital from the Islamic Value dimension towards Muslim-friendly Medical Tourism. This study employed a case study approach on five hospitals. The data was collected through in-depth discussions, hospital tours, and interviews. Within-case analysis was conducted in analyzing the data. This study found that, the hospitals’ management highlighted that taqwa to Allah Subh’anaHu Wa Ta-A’la, worship to Allah Subh’anaHu Wa Ta-A’la, halal, trustworthy, and concern about the welfare are Islamic value dimensions of intellectual capital towards Muslim-friendly Medical Tourism. This study gives some directions for the hospital’s management in developing and managing the hospital’s intellectual capital and Islamic values, and how they can better leverage their intellectual capital and create added value in order to respond successfully to the increasingly competitive environment. This is pioneering research that develops a theoretical model to incorporate Intellectual Capital dimensions and Islamic Values in Muslim-friendly Medical Tourism.

A Review on Halal Medical Tourism

“…Therefore, the medical tourism sector is one of the important sectors that requires innovative practices to address the various challenges faced by the health and tourism industries. Not only that, management of knowledge-based assets focused on developing Muslim Friendly Medical Tourism (MFMT) is also an important requirement that must be considered in the context of the related tourism sector (Arefi et al, 2018;Hamzah et al, 2022;Alfarajat, 2022). Overall, halal medical tourism presents opportunities for the development of halal branding, market growth, and economic growth.…”

“…The quality, availability and cost of healthcare services are also important factors driving the growth of halal medical tourism. This explains that future opportunities for halal medical tourism are wide open for development (Hamzah et al, 2022;Ramli, 2022;Medhekar & Haq, 2018;Arefi et al, 2018).…”

“…However, with the opportunities that exist in the midst of the development of halal medical tourism, there are several challenges that can certainly become obstacles in developing halal medical tourism. Among these challenges are (Hamzah et al, 2022;Ramli, 2022;Medhekar & Haq, 2018): 1) cultural and religious differences, Muslim patients may face different cultural, political, and economic contexts, different languages, and social systems. different healthcare when seeking medical care abroad.…”