Fonte: Journal of Tourism & Development; v. 3, n. 17/18 (2012); 1453-1468
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Resumo: The objective of this study was to compare the Group Apollo Hospitals, which is considered a worldwide reference for medical tourism, to the Brazilian South’s enterprises Hotel and Spa Recanto das Águas and Itá Thermas Resort and Spa, as they have a specific department dedicated to life quality and well-being. A qualitative research, with a comparative, exploratory and descriptive nature, was conducted. Therefore, units of meaning for the definition of the categories analysed were elected, which allowed determining how much these variables grow farther or closer from the Indian model, considered the ideal model, but taking under consideration the fact that India and Brazil are in different cultural, economic, social and politic levels. These categories are: a) health and well-being treatments; and b) hospital hotels. This last is divided in b1) architecture features; and b2) attendance features. In this study, bibliographic and documental research, interviews and in loco observation, were used. The analysed documents consisted in bibliographic material and contents published in the official website of the Indian government, as well as several contents about the Apollo Hospitals, both in its website and archives made available for appreciation. The interviews were conducted with the managers of the Brazilian enterprises under analysis. The in loco observation occurred in the Hotel and Spa Recanto das Águas and in the Itá Thermas Resort and Spa. The results have showed that Brazil already has available enough built, geographic and human resources, for medical tourism to be implemented according to the Indian patterns, as long as the social, cultural, political and economic characteristics of this country are respected.
