INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ADOPTION AND MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATION CHOICE IN CALABAR, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA
Author(s): Department of Marketing University of Calabar Calabar . Orji, Nina Valentine; Professor Nsobiari Festus Awara; Akpan, Joy Samuel
Abstract
Medical tourism connotes the activities of tourists travelling outside their original place of abode to other destinations with the intention of receiving health and/or medical services. And, the choice of a particular tourism destination could be facilitated by information technology (ICT). Many residents in Calabar engage in medical tourism due to lack of adequate medical facilities and experts in the country to cater for their medical and health needs. This paper investigated the effect of information communication technology (ICT) on the destination choice of medical tourist residents in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria with a specific focus on social media and website adoptions by medical tourism organizations. The population of the study is unknown because there is no existing record of medical tourists in Cross River State. A judgemental sample of 100 medical tourists was drawn, while the opinion survey technique was employed to gather data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using Multiple Regression Analysis technique. Results of the findings revealed that both ICT tools (social media and website) significantly and positively affect the destination choice of medical tourists. Consequently, we recommended that medical institutions in Calabar should own interactive social media pages; and the website of health service agencies should be attractive, informative and interactive in order to appeal to medical tourists. And, medical institutions should encourage collaboration with foreign embassies in Nigeria in order to reach their target market (medical tourists).
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