Healthcare and Medical Tourism

Biography

Biography: Rajko Ostojić

Abstract

In a current environment depicted by the process of globalization, technology development and knowledge society, a necessary condition for economic development is closer cooperation between academia, industry and the public sector in establishing a mechanism for joint action to achieve development goals. Moreover, strategies based on the triple helix perspective recognize and stress the importance of harmonization and cooperation between all stakeholders, as well as the importance of creating an enabling business environment and creating innovation. Health tourism represents a niche with a significant development potential. The aim of the paper is to present and analyze incentive measures for health tourism development on the example of the Republic of Croatia. The analysis has shown that it is necessary to provide scientific and research basis for successful governance of future development policies and to introduce quality programs and improved management in the overall system of healthcare and tourism supply. Several initiatives by the Ministry of Economy have been launched to encourage research, development and innovation and to build centers of exellence in the field of health tourism that should contribute to the strengthening the innovation capacity of the business sector; development and promotion of new information-communication technology solutions in health tourism, thus strengthening the competitiveness and export growth of the Croatian economy; and to linking academic, public and business sectors through the existing infrastructure in order to create the innovation value chain.