Characterization of the healthcare tourism in the city of Bogotá and the district of Cartagena

Abstract

The article characterizes the medical tourism subsector in Bogota and Cartagena to detect potential service offers to foreign patients. We performed a comparative analysis between these two cities to identify the weaknesses, opportunities, strengths, and threats they have. The study has a quantitative research approach using primary sources of information to characterize the subsector in these cities. In Bogota, the quality of health care services, specialized infrastructure, the accreditation of some health care institutions, and the formation of the health care cluster stand out as competitive elements. Meanwhile, Cartagena shows attractive prices but has scarce health care infrastructure and health professionals, low levels of bilingual proficiency, and increased local health service needs. We conclude that there is a need to strengthen the subsector’s competitiveness in both cities, as the trend points to the growth of this type of tourism in the coming years.