Multi-dimensions of the perceived benefits in a medical hotel and their roles in international travelers' decision-making process

Despite the rapid growth of the medical-tourism industry, research about medical hotels, which are an essential part of the industry, remains rare. The present study attempted, first, to identify the possible benefits that international medical tourists perceive in a medical hotel and examine what roles those benefits play in generating perceived value and behavioral intentions, second, to investigate the mediating impact of value, and finally to examine the theoretical associations among study variables across Chinese, Japanese, and Korean traveler groups. The results of the study indicated that perceived benefits were generally associated with perceived value and behavioral intentions, that value had a significant mediating impact, and that national culture had a significant moderating role in the proposed relationships. In addition, among the components of perceived benefits, hospitality product played a prominent role in the Chinese group, and the impact of medical service was vital in the Japanese and Korean groups. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.