ABSTRACT
Macao has only recently been the subject of several studies on cross-border medical tourism. These studies include a preliminary study of Macao’s potential for medical tourism (Lam and Lei 2010) and one that examined the issue further in relation to the demand by visiting mainland Chinese tourists (Lam et al. 2011). This chapter progresses the topic further by analysing the results of the previous studies in terms of the regional competitiveness of Macao’s medical carrying capacity, the attractiveness of its additional tourism attractions to cross-border tourists, and their demand for certain treatments and practices. By placing this data in the context of competitiveness and the competitive advantages of other medical tourism destinations, it will be shown that Macao could develop further and needs more specific policies from government for encouraging development that will be attractive to these Chinese tourists, while also allowing the provision of medical services to local residents.
