The Growth of Foreign Medical Tourism in Pakistan: Understanding the Role of Health Literacy, Tourist Information Trustworthiness, Medical Tourism Risk, and Safety Information

Abstract

Despite advancements in healthcare for international visitors, the medical tourism industry in Pakistan remains underexplored in research. This study investigates the factors influencing Behavioural Intentions towards Medical Health Tourism (BIMT), incorporating predictor variables such as Safety Information (SI), Health Literacy (HL), and Trustworthiness of Tourist Information (TTI). Utilizing the Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviour (KAB) model, the study examines the mediating role of Perceived Risk in medical tourism (PRMT). Grounded in the KAB model, data collected from 339 medical tourists in Pakistan revealed that SI, HL, and TTI decrease PRMT, influencing medical tourism behaviour. PRMT mediates the impact of SI, HL, and TTI on behavioural intentions towards medical tourism, providing valuable insights for stakeholders and researchers in understanding the dynamics of medical tourism in Pakistan