Medical Tourism in Developing Countries

24 ● Medical Tourism in Developing Countriesnature of exchange, specialization, and communication between economicentities. During globalization, a concentration of power in the hands ofcorporations has undoubtedly occurred. Participation in the global economydecreases the power of state governments to control their own economicdestinies as a collective economic destiny becomes global. Moreover, globalizationgives populations across the world greater exposure to differentpeoples, values, and habits. Communications, media, and the Internet crossboundaries, as do people who come into contact with foreigners when theytravel to foreign lands. Thus, it comes as no surprise that globali zationaffects the health sector, the tourist sector, and therefore also medicaltourism.With respect to health, globalization helps spread communicable diseasesas more than two million people cross international borders every day. 20Increased trade in live animals and animal products has increased the spreadof foodborne diseases (such as mad cow disease) and also trade in cigarettesand tobacco products has increased. A WHO study noted that globalizationaffects health and health affects globalization. 21 It affects health insofar asit enables economic growth, which in some cases reduces poverty (which isclearly tied to health issues). At the same time, poor public health preventsa country from being incorporated into the global economy as it keepsproductivity low.Tourists represent globalization par excellence as there is consensus in thesocial science literature that the link between tourism and globalization isstrong. Donald Reid said that tourism is one of the main products beingglobalized while Frances Brown argued that it is one of the main forces drivingglobalization. 22 According to John Lea, “There is no other internationaltrading activity which involves such critical interplay among economic,political, environmental, and social elements as tourism.” 23 Thus, throughconsumption, production, and investment of tourist goods and services, eventhe poorest third world countries become linked to the global economy.Therefore, both health and tourism are an integral part of transnationaleconomic activity associated with globalization. The cross between them,namely medical tourism, is thus also a part of globalization insofar as it isenabled by it and, by its very nature, reinforces further globalization.Increasing Importance of ServicesIn the last two decades of the twentieth century, services have emerged asthe largest and fastest growing sector in the world. It is responsible for some60 percent of global output and an even greater share of employment. Inmany countries, these numbers are much higher.