Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

Emotional value
Emotional value is defined as the perceived utility based on the ability of a product to arouse
feelings or affective states (Sheth, Newmann and Gross, 1991). Emotional value is related to
the development of positive emotions, such as happiness, interest, and pleasant surprise, and
negative emotions, such as sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and unpleasant surprise (Borod et al.
1998).
Previous studies focused on a range of positive and negative feelings arising from a tourism
experience (William and Soutar, 2000; Sanchez et al. 2006; Petrick, 2002) and from a medical
experience (Cengiz and Kirkbir, 2007), such as fear, excitement, pleasure and happiness. In
our case, members made for example comments about being “afraid” and “excited”.
“I keep jumping around because I can’t wait! In 8 days, I’ll be on the plane at this hour!” “A
small tablet before I went to bed to feel relaxed even though I was pretty wired. Not stressed
but excited at the thought of fulfilling my dream.”
“I am supposed to go there on March 2 nd for a breast operation, and now I am really afraid
because there is no way of checking the surgeon’s skills…, I am just afraid of failure.”
Epistemic value
Epistemic value is defined as the perceived utility based on the ability of a product to arouse
curiosity, provide novelty, and/or satisfy a desire for knowledge (Sheth, Newmann and Gross,
1991). Goetzinger et al. (2007) stated that the Internet has revolutionized the way consumers
search for information and has completely changed consumers’ decision-making process,
particularly in the health care industry. In the same vein, it has been acknowledged that the
Internet provides some level of epistemic value to those who use it as a resource for health
care information (Wilkins, 1999). Medical tourists conduct several searches on:
The service providers (surgeon and/or tour operators):
“Before my operation, I had done extensive research on the Internet and I had consulted
several surgeons to be sure to have a good surgeon.”
The cost of stays:
"Are rates really more interesting than in France????”
And the postoperative care:
“Otherwise, as regards post-operation care, I clean the scar using Bétadine, by tapping
gently, without rubbing, then you put a good coat of IALUSET healing cream, all over, and
use IALUSET PLUS where it weeps, because it is a healing and disinfecting cream at the
same time!”
Conditional value
Conditional value is defined as the perceived utility based on the specific context or set of
circumstances faced by the patient. An alternative acquires conditional value in the presence
of previous physical or social contingencies that enhance its functional or social value (Sheth,
Newman and Gross, 1991).
The conditional value of the medical tourism experience finds its essence in the presence of
several contingencies which tend to improve its functional value. These contingencies are
related to the high prices applied in France, the long waiting lists at teaching hospitals and the
absence of coverage for cosmetic surgery.
“It is true that in France, it can be twice as expensive as in Tunisia! Otherwise, there are
some teaching hospitals where prices are around 2,300 euros, but for some, the waiting
periods are too long”
“Concerning coverage, it’s not the lost weight that matters, it is whether or not you have a
"deck", and I have no deck and therefore no coverage…so I’m not interested in being
operated in France”