ABSTRACT
Tourism is one of the world’s growing markets and moves people and money for different reasons. In Austria, tourism constitutes 5.3% of GDP, which, in 2012, amounted to 15.09 billion Euro (Smeral, 2010). Health is increasingly seen as a crucial personal, economic, and political commodity which is founded in the dynamic interaction of demographics, economy, and advanced medicine. Among the most important growth sectors are located in the health-industry; the term “Gesundheitsgesellschaft” (“health-society”) is often being used (Kickbusch, 2012). The current accelerated lifestyle of many people causes changes in the living, working, and surrounding circumstances which in turn can lead to health problems. Health problems and the search for cure, rehabilitation, or relief, or the wish to promote one’s own health were, and still are, some of the primary motivators for traveling for health (Konu, 2010; Konu & Laukkanen, 2009; Hall, 2011; Smith & Puzcko, 2010). Fortunately, patients have early access to health care systems. One significant issue remains reduced accessibility of the system for individuals of lower socioeconomic standing (Cassens et al., 2012). For women this could be a hindrance due to the difference in their income as compared to men (Statistik Austria, 2013).
